THE 

UNKNOWN 

Mr.  KENT 


Y 


V 


THE     UNKNOWN     MR.     KENT 
ROY       NORTON 


The   Unkown 
Mr.  Kent 

By  ROY  NORTON 

AUTHOR  OF 

•'The  Plunderer,"  "The  Mediator,"  Etc. 


A.   L.   BURT   COMPANY 

Publishers  New  York 

Published  by  arrangements  with  GEORGK  H.  DOR  AN  COMPANY 


COPYRIGHT,  1916, 
BY  GEORGE   H.  DORAN   COMPANY 


FEINTED  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES  OF   AMERICA 


THE  UNKNOWN  MR.  KENT 


2132027 


THE  UNKNOWN 
MR.  KENT 

CHAPTER  ONE 

THERE  are  just  three  sorts  of  men  in  this 
world  who  have  an  ambition  that  is  worth 
a  cuss!    Hermits,  billionaires,  and  burg- 
lars; and  all  they  ask  is  to  be  left  alone,"  de- 
clared John  Rhodes  on  the  day  when,  with  pains- 
taking attention  to  details,  he  took  the  last  pre- 
cautions to   obliterate  his  footsteps  and  disap- 
peared.   He  might  have  added,  "I'm  one  of  'em," 
and  if  the  inquisitive  had  asked  which  one,  would 
probably  have  answered,  "Burglar." 

Furthermore,  there  were  numerous  financiers 
over  different  sections  of  the  globe  who  would 
have  agreed  with  him  heartily,  perhaps  vocifer- 
ously. Not  that  the  methods  by  which,  with 
amazing  and  cumulative  steadiness,  he  had  ac- 
quired his  vast  fortune  were  more  reprehensive 
than  those  of  other  financiers;  but  because  he 
was  endowed  with  such  appalling  foresight,  stead- 
iness of  nerve,  and  ingenuity  of  resource  that  it 

[7] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MR.  KENT 

seemed  impossible  to  drive  him  into  a  corner  and 
keep  him  there.  And  this  was  naturally  much  of 
a  disappointment  to  rival  magnates.  His  most 
peculiar  characteristic,  however,  was  such  a 
morbid  hatred  for  publicity  that  even  those  who 
could  have  identified  him  on  the  street  were  few 
and  it  became  a  tradition  that,  whenever  possible, 
his  business  was  transacted  through  agents.  Also 
that  of  these  agents  Richard  Kent  was  the  one 
who  effected  nearly  all  the  largest  deals ;  also  that 
if  there  was  any  truth  in  the  adage,  "Like  master 
like  man,"  Rhodes  must  have  been  a  " terror," 
inasmuch  as,  in  the  parlance  of  the  street,  Kent 
was  a  '  *  Hum-dinger ! " 

It  was  admitted  that  Kent  could  be  neither  bul- 
lied, bribed,  influenced  nor  employed,  because  at 
different  times  all  these  tactics  had  been  tried  un- 
successfully. There  were  diverse  opinions  of  him. 
Some  agreed  with  that  expressed  by  a  certain 
renowned  financial  light,  pillar  of  a  fashionable 
church,  advertised  as  a  philanthropist,  moralist, 
and  patriot,  who  declared  wrothfully,  "Kent  is 
nothing  more  nor  less  than  a  blithering  ass !  A 
fool!  Why,  do  you  know,  he's  so  stupid  that  he 
can  tell  Rhodes'  money  from  his  own?  He  re- 
fused fifty  thousand  dollars  I  offered  him  as  a 
gift,  when  all  he  had  to  do  to  get  it  was  to  tell 
me  whether  Rhodes  was  a  bull  or  a  bear  on  Steel 
Common?  Plain  dishonest,  I  call  him!" 

[8] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

Others,  disagreeing,  liked  him  because  he  kept 
his  word;  but  most  of  those  were  unimportant 
people,  who,  therefore,  didn't  count. 

That  Kent  was  astonishingly  qualified  to  act  as 
Rhodes'  agent  in  foreign  countries,  some  were 
aware;  for  amongst  his  conspicuous  talents  was 
that  of  languages,  of  which  he  made  a  hobby.  This 
was  proven  by  the  assertion  of  a  distinguished 
polyglot,  who  could  have  given  "cards  and 
spades"  to  the  average  university  professor  of 
languages,  being  a  waiter  in  a  Broadway  restau- 
rant. 

"He's  a  heller!"  said  he.  "Talks  at  least  five 
languages,  each  one  better  than  the  other.  And 
he  can  cuss  in  all  five  of  'em.  Found  it  out  one 
night  when  he  got  sore  at  the  head  waiter,  who 
was  a  bit  uppish,  because  there  was  a  short  change 
on  his  meal  bill,  a  hold-up  in  the  cloak  room,  pair 
of  gloves  swiped  from  his  overcoat  pocket  by  a 
page  boy  and  the  waiter  handed  him  coffee  with 
a  harmless  little  roach  in  it!  And  that  ain't  all, 
either.  He'd  had  a  row  at  the  front  door  with  a 
chauffeur  because  the  guy  flipped  his  flag  and 
tried  to  double  the  fare  before  this  Kent  could 
look  at  the  dial.  Fine  chance  an  honest  working- 
man's  got  with  him,  eh?  He  ain't  no  New  Yorker, 
because  if  he  was,  he'd  stand  for  it,  and  what's 
more,  he'd  like  it.  Besides,  a  perfect  gent  don't 
make  no  fuss  over  little  things  like  them.  He  can 

[9] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

talk  some,  all  right,  believe  me,  but  he's  either  a 
Boston  feller  or  a  piker.  Give  me  one  live  one 
from  Pittsburgh  or  Goldfields,  every  time.  You 
can  tell  what  they  are  when  they  blow  in ;  but  these 
big,  square- jawed  guys  like  that  Kent  is  awfully 
hard  to  place,  and  every  once  in  a  while  I  make  a 
mistake  with  his  kind!" 

Yet  on  one  point  every  one  agreed,  that  being 
Kent's  loyalty  to  Rhodes.  And  this  fidelity  found 
further  proof  when  the  master  financier  disap- 
peared, inasmuch  as  at  somewhere  near  the  same 
time,  or  at  least  within  a  few  weeks  after  it  had 
been  announced  that  Ehodes  had  gone  on  an  ex- 
tended vacation,  Kent  likewise  departed  from  New 
York.  Presumably  to  attend  his  employer's  in- 
terests abroad.  He  said  that  was  why  he  was 
going;  but  he  lied,  this  being  his  blunt  idea  of 
diplomacy  as  employed  in  many  national  and  so- 
cial circles. 

And  so,  having  lied  when  he  stated  that  he  was 
going  abroad  in  behalf  of  the  formidable  Mr. 
Ehodes,  the  square-jawed  Mr.  Kent  was  now 
turned  loose  on  war-stricken  Europe  for  a  holi- 
day to  wander  as  his  somewhat  erratic  fancy  dic- 
tated, and  cheerfully  agreeing  with  himself  that 
he  "didn't  care  a  continental  cuss"  where  thf 
renowned  John  Ehodes  was,  what  he  was  doing, 
what  he  wanted  to  do,  or  what  he  did.  All  that 
Mr.  Kent,  the  agent,  desired,  was  that  Mr.  Ehodes, 
[10] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

the  financier,  should  leave  him,  Mr.  Kent,  undis- 
turbed. He  was  rebellious. 

"John  Rhodes,"  said  he  to  himself,  "has  bossed 
me  around  and  run  me  here  and  there,  like  a  small 
boy  hopping  a  cat  over  hurdles  in  the  cellar,  until 
I'm  sick  and  tired  of  it.  He's  paid  me  well,  and 
I'm  fairly  well  off;  but  I've  sure  earned  every 
cent  I  ever  got  out  of  him.  He's  gone  on  a  long 
vacation.  So  shall  I.  And  if  John  Rhodes  doesn't 

like  it  he  can  go  to ";  but  at  that  point  of 

his  meditations  caution,  or  perhaps  some  of  his 
loyalty  to  Rhodes,  overcame  his  disregard  of  that 
amiable  employer  under  whom  he  had  prospered, 
and  caused  him  to  take  the  precaution  of  leaving 
word  with  sundry  bankers  of  New  York,  London, 
Paris,  Berlin  and  Vienna  where  Rhodes  could  find 
him  if  desiring  his  services.  And,  so  strong  is  the 
habit  of  discipline  and  obedience,  on  second 
thought  he  arranged  that  mails  might  be  for- 
warded enclosed  in  protective  envelopes,  keeping 
him  informed  concerning  certain  financial  transac- 
tions entrusted  to  him  by  Mr.  Rhodes.  From  all 
of  which  it  might  be  conjectured  that,  despite  his 
mutinous  disposition,  he  cautiously  realised  that, 
without  the  fat  commissions  afforded  by  John 
Rhodes,  Richard  Kent  might  shrivel  as  thin  as  a 
living  skeleton  in  a  freak  museum,  and  be  com- 
pelled to  seek  another  patron  endowed  with  purse, 
power,  and  authority. 

[11] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

Mr.  Khodes'  disappearance  was  noted;  Mr. 
Kent's  wasn't.  Watchful  financiers  rumoured  it 
that  Mr.  Ehodes  was  travelling  in  the  far  East 
intent  on  new  plunder;  but  about  Mr.  Kent  there 
were  no  rumours  at  all,  and  for  the  simplest  of 
reasons,  that  Kent  had  hopped  completely  beyond 
the  reach  of  rumour;  had  hopped  almost  out  of 
the  known  world,  beyond  finance,  railways,  auto- 
mobiles, and  state  highways,  into  the  unknown, 
unchanging,  sixteenth  century  village  of  Stein- 
weg.  Accompanied  only  by  his  factotum,  Ivan, 
who  for  years  had  gone  with  him,  everywhere,  he 
had  found  in  Steinweg  his  two  great  objects,  fish 
and  freedom.  Probably  he  would  not  have  admit- 
ted any  sentimental  or  artistic  interest  in  the 
quaint  village  itself,  with  its  single  crooked  street, 
lined  by  houses  whose  gables  seemed  forever  to 
reach  across  and  whisper  of  conspiracies,  the 
next  robber  baron  raid,  or  the  public  flaying  of 
some  poor  wretch  accused  of  stealing  a  purse  or  a 
ham.  He  might  have  admitted  the  comfort  within 
the  old  houses,  once  one  had  passed  through  the 
low  doors  to  the  cool  interiors  where  low  ceilings, 
heavy  beams,  ancient  fire-places,  blackened  wain- 
scotings  and  all,  were  lighted  by  the  cross  shad- 
ows cast  through  the  narrow  windows  with  tiny 
leaded  panes.  This  would  have  been  his  excuse 
for  renting  one  of  those  quaint  houses  in  the 
quaint  street — renting  it  and  all  it  contained,  in- 
[12] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MR.  KENT 

eluding  the  aged  but  competent  widow  who  owned 
it.  Proof  of  his  daring !  It  requires  nerve  to  rent 
a  widow,  although  anybody  can  rent  a  house. 

He  paid  therefor  what  seemed  a  prodigal  sum 
in  those  wretched,  penurious  times  that  followed 
on  the  heels  of  that  great  war,  when  old  boun- 
daries disappeared  and  new  states  either  sprang 
into  existence  or  were  resuscitated  after  decades 
of  suppression.  He  wished  to  be  free,  obscure, 
unmolested,  and  within  a  month  he  must  have 
been  gratified,  having  been  accepted  as  a  part  of 
the  village,  like  the  village  forge,  the  shabby  little 
priest,  or  the  town  pump,  because  none  might  sus- 
pect that  within  his  uncommunicative  mind  were 
concealed  the  methods  by  which  so  many  of  the 
old-new  or  new-old  states  had  been  financed;  but 
not  so  with  Ivan.  He  commanded  an  uncanny  in- 
terest. He  couldn't  avoid  it.  First,  because  of 
his  enormous  size,  strength  and  agility;  second, 
because  of  his  strange  manner  of  ignoring  all 
sounds  and  of  speaking  only  to  those  who  faced 
him  in  the  light.  It  took  longer  to  accustom  the 
villagers  to  this  giant,  stalking  ever  at  the  fisher- 
man's elbow,  silent,  taciturn,  alert  with  the  ab- 
sorbed alertness  of  a  wild  animal  watchful  to  the 
four  ways  of  the  wind.  Visualisation  is  necessary 
to  attract  the  attention  of  the  unimaginative,  and 
without  visualisation  they  have  small  interest; 
hence  on  a  certain  night  in  Steinweg  no  one  had 

[13] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

even  the  slightest  curiosity  in  either  the  widow, 
Mr.  Kent,  or  Ivan,  because  it  stormed;  stormed 
as  it  can  in  those  mountains,  with  sweeping  rain, 
thunder  that  is  a  punctual  and  close  comrade  of 
lightning  stabs;  an  erratic,  capricious  pair  out 
on  a  rampage,  like  a  pair  of  drunken  rioters,  one 
of  whom  is  boisterous,  swaggering,  shouting,  and 
harmless,  the  other  snapping,  deadly,  intent,  and 
out  to  kill.  The  villagers  were  inside  and  under 
cover  on  that  turbulent  night  of  late  spring.  So 
were  Kent,  financial  agent  on  a  holiday,  and  Ivan, 
factotum,  always  at  work. 

Kent,  the  master,  lounged  in  the  room  that  he 
had  converted  into  a  den,  and  luxuriously  stuck 
his  feet,  carpet-slippered,  toward  the  fireplace 
wherein  surged  a  blaze  that  robbed  the  spring 
dampness  of  a  winter  chill.  He  wondered  if,  de- 
spite his  sense  of  freedom  and  independence,  he 
could  endure  such  a  place  in  real  winter,  and 
yawned,  casually  thanking  God,  in  the  meantime, 
that  Rhodes  had  decided  to  extend  his  vacation 
indefinitely.  Kent  liked  him  for  that  decision. 
Lazily  he  swung  round  in  his  chair  to  see  what 
Ivan  was  doing ;  but  the  light,  a  sharp,  white  flame 
from  the  student's  lamp  on  the  oaken  desk  by  his 
side,  bothered  him,  and  he  held  his  fine  head  side- 
wise  to  escape  its  rays.  It  accentuated  the  in- 
dividuality of  his  square  jaws,  the  lumpiness  of 
his  high  brow,  the  whimsical  lines  at  the  corners 
[14] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

of  his  shrewd  eyes,  the  mggedness  of  his  well- 
shaped  nose,  the  half-humorous,  half-stem  crev- 
ices bordering  his  liberal  mouth. 

In  the  corner  of  the  room,  whose  uniform  and 
blackened  wainscoting  Kent  had,  with  his  own 
hands,  desecrated  by  building  a  makeshift  book- 
case, Ivan  knelt.  His  huge  shoulders  were  bent 
forward  and  his  shock  head  was  stretched,  turtle- 
wise,  as  he  sought,  patiently  and  laboriously,  along 
the  well-packed  shelves,  for  a  book  that  the  widow 
had  replaced  in  her  customary  hit-or-miss  fash- 
ion. His  face,  dour  and  strong,  was  set  like  a 
mask  of  perseverance,  and  one  huge  finger  probed 
methodically  along  the  line  of  titles.  His  lips 
moved,  dumbly,  as  he  read.  A  terrifying,  terrific 
shock  of  combined  thunder  and  lightning  did  not 
disturb  him;  but  Kent  started  and  stared  at  the 
diamond-shaped  panes  that  became  iridescent 
with  fresh  rivulets  of  rain.  An  interior  door  was 
jerked  open  and  the  widow  appeared,  holding  her 
work-gnarled  hands  upward,  and  rolling  her  eyes 
with  fright. 

"I  hope  it  struck  the  Catholic  church!"  she 
exclaimed.  "I'm  a  Lutheran." 

She  paused  to  look  backward  over  her  shoulder, 
as  if  afraid  that  the  thunderbolt  had  legs  and 
might  be  chasing  her ;  and  then,  suddenly  discov- 
ering that  she  was  safe,  made  garrulity  serve  for 
apology. 

[15] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

"It  isn't  often  that  we  have  such  weather  here, 
it  isn't!  The  sides  of  the  house  are  waterfalls; 
the  street  a  river ;  the  garden  a  lake.  I  was  afraid 
the  pig  would  drown.  I  brought  him  into  the 
kitchen." 

"And  very  humane  of  you,"  commented  Kent, 
drily.  "Why  didn't  you  bring  him  in  here?  Any 
other  stock  to  be  salvaged?" 

"There's  the  chickens;  but  they  have  roosts, 
and — a  very  great  bother  to  bring  them  all  in  the 

kitchen.    Unless "  she  stopped,  put  her  arms 

akimbo  and  stared  at  Ivan  as  if  to  suggest  that 
with  his  assistance  she  might  manage. 

"Never  mind!  As  you  say,  they  can  roost," 
Kent  hastily  protested,  lest  she  take  him  seriously 
and  bring  not  only  the  chickens  but  perhaps  the 
cow,  a  donkey  and  the  family  goat  into  the  house- 
hold. 

Another  crash  of  thunder  and  flash  of  light  so 
close  as  to  be  simultaneous  caused  her  to  throw 
her  arms  above  her  head  as  if  to  protect  it.  Ivan 
did  not  so  much  as  raise  his  eyes.  His  imper- 
turbability exasperated  her. 

"I  tell  you,"  she  exclaimed,  pointing  a  declama- 
tory finger  at  Ivan, "  he 's  not  natural !  Sometimes 
he  doesn't  answer  when  a  body  speaks  to  him. 
Something  uncanny  about  him,  and — and  I  don't 
like  it!" 

"There  is  something  wrong  with  him,"  Kent 
[16] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

checked  her.  *  *  He  can 't  hear.  Deaf  as  an  adder, 
or  a  bad  man's  conscience." 

Her  look  of  incredulity,  her  sniff,  were  equiva- 
lent to  disputing  her  employer's  word.  He  thought 
best  to  explain. 

" Listen,"  he  said,  "I  don't  want  you  to  dis- 
like him.  He  can't  help  it.  When  he  was  a  young 
man  he  had  spinal  meningitis.  It  left  him  deaf. 
Before  that  he  was  a  tutor  of  languages.  He 
taught  me  all  I  know,  so  I  shall  always  keep  him. 
He  can  tell  what  you  say  to  him  only  by  watching 
your  lips — lip  reading  we  call  it  in  English.  I 
want  you  and  every  one  else  to  be  kind  to  him, 
because  he's  sensitive.  Stop  picking  at  him,  and 
be  kind." 

She  shook  her  head  doubtfully;  but  won  over 
by  natural  sympathy  said,  "Too  bad!  Who'd 
have  thought  it !  I  see  how  it  is.  I  had  a  dog  with 
three  legs.  Four  he  had  until  he  had  an  accident 
with  a  scythe.  Couldn't  pull  a  cart  to  market 
after  that.  My  man  wanted  to  kill  it.  I  told  him 
dogs  were  like  men  because  nobody  wants  to  lose 
his  leg  or  his  tail  if  he  can  help  it.  And  nobody 
wanted  a  three-legged  dog,  and  he  loved  me,  so 
I  kept  him.  I'm  sorry  I  ever  scolded  that  Ivan. 
He's  your  three-legged  dog  and  you  keep  him 
because  he  loves  you." 

Kent  tried  to  discourage  her  limberness  of 
tongue  by  picking  up  a  book;  but  she  talked  un- 

[17] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MR.  KENT 

ceasingly  while  heaping  more  fagots  around  the 
backlog  and  dusting  the  ashes  from  the  grate.  Her 
voice,  raised  to  a  snap,  brought  him  back  from  a 
reverie. 

' '  You  Ve  not  heard  a  word  I  said ! ' '  she  declared, 
vastly  annoyed. 

"Eh?  What's  that?"  he  lifted  his  eyes  and 
placated  her  with  a  smile  that  was  rare  and  win- 
ning. 

"A  man  came  from  Marken,"  she  repeated,  in- 
tent on  impressing  him  with  prodigious  news, 
"Pierre  LaFranz,  it  was,  and  says  there  might 
be  a  revolution  over  there  that  will  shake  the 
world !  Shake  the  world,  Pierre  said." 

Kent  could  not  restrain  a  laugh. 

"Don't  you  bother  about  the  world,"  he  said, 
soothingly.  * '  Marken 's  standing  army  might  give 
the  Pope's  Swiss  guard  a  good  tussle,  but — 
Humph !  If  Marken  went  to  war  the  world  would 
probably  never  hear  of  it — let  alone  shake.  Why, 
Marken 's  so  small  it's  a  secret!" 

As  he  proceeded,  she  reddened  with  indignation, 
tried  to  speak,  and  then,  wagging  her  head  at  the 
obtuseness  of  a  man  who  could  not  believe  that 
the  two-by-four  kingdom,  neighbouring  on  Stein- 
weg,  and  regarded  with  awe  by  every  peasant 
within  forty  miles,  was  not  of  world-wide  impor- 
tance, retired  to  her  kitchen.  She  slammed  the 
door  with  a  final  expression  of  disgust ;  but  Kent 
[18] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

was  already  thoughtfully  recalling  what  she  had 
said  of  that  inconspicuous,  but  completely  inde- 
pendent kingdom  called  Marken,  a  kingdom  so 
small  that  on  a  map  of  Europe  it  would  be  but  a 
tiny  pink  spot;  a  kingdom  so  small  that  no  one 
had  ever  taken  the  trouble  to  upset  it. 

His  face  became  grave  and  he  emitted  a  dis- 
gruntled, "Humph!"  John  Ehodes  was  again 
intruding  on  his  peace  of  mind,  and  could  not  be 
put  aside.  Marken  threatening  revolt!  That 
meant  that  the  loan  of  five  million  dollars  that 
Ehodes  had  extended  to  His  Majesty  Karl  II,  king 
of  Marken,  might  prove  worthless.  And  Kent 
had  met  the  negotiators  of  that  loan,  passed  upon 
their  securities,  accepted  them,  and  caused  that 
loan  to  be  made.  Hang  Ehodes !  He  could  afford 
to  lose  many  times  that  sum;  but  the  question  of 
the  wisdom  of  his  agent,  Kent,  was  involved,  and 
a  financial  agent 's  judgment  is  his  sole  stock  in 
trade.  Kent  was  rather  jealous  of  his,  in  a  secret 
way.  He  had  laboriously  and  with  inner  pride 
built  up  a  reputation  for  infallibility,  and  now 
Marken  might  prove  a  slap  at  his  judgment. 
Ehodes  wouldn't  like  it.  And  there  were  many 
other  agents  who 

He  twitted  his  big,  capable  fingers  together 
and  muttered  some  unpleasant  objurgations  con- 
signing Karl  n,  the  Marken  state  loan,  and  John 
Ehodes,  indiscriminately,  to  the  outer  world.  It 

[19] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

was  his  plain  duty,  as  lie  was  well  aware,  to  travel 
without  delay  to  Marken  and  do  what  he  could  to 
protect  Rhodes'  interests,  and  that  might  mean 
the  end  of  this  vacation,  and  the  trout  were  at 
their  best.  Scowling,  he  swung  to  his  desk,  un- 
locked a  drawer,  took  therefrom  a  steel  despatch 
box,  unlocked  that,  and  sought  a  paper  which  he 
opened  and  scanned.  It  was  a  private  report  he 
had  caused  to  be  made  on  Marken  affairs,  and, 
now  that  its  substance  was  recalled  and  his  mem- 
ory refreshed,  it  did  not  appear  to  add  to  his 
mental  comfort.  He  used  one  or  two  very  vigor- 
ous Americanisms,  and  replaced  paper  and  box 
in  the  desk.  He  thumped  vigorously  on  the  floor 
with  his  heel  and  when  the  huge  man  in  the  corner, 
feeling  the  shock,  looked  up,  addressed  him  in  a 
voiceless  whisper  of  the  lips. 

"Ivan,  have  you  happened  to  learn  anything 
about  a  revolt  over  in  Marken?  You  see  more 
of  these  tongue-wagging  peasants  than  I  do." 

The  giant  advanced  to  the  desk  across  which  he 
spoke. 

"No,  sir,  not  exactly  a  revolution;  but  I  heard 
they  were  discontented  over  there.  Some  of  the 
villagers  said — you  know  it  is  an  autocratic  gov- 
ernment?" 

"Yes.  Autocratic  government  with  a  man  born 
to  the  job  who  doesn't  happen  to  be  a  real,  good, 
all-wool-and-a-yard-wide  autocrat.  Good  deal  like 
[20] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

a  fellow  being  born  to  inherit  a  farm  whose  near- 
est idea  he  has  of  a  plough  is  an  ice  scraper  for 
cocktails." 

Whilst  Kent  spoke  Ivan's  eyes  were  fixed  on 
his  lips,  attentively;  but  discerning  that  his  em- 
ployer's speech  was  at  an  end,  he  slowly  wagged 
his  massive  head,  and  added  all  his  information. 

"They  say,  sir,  that  the  king  is  credited  with 
being  a  well-meaning  man,  but  not  just  the  one  to 
advance  the  kingdom.  They  are  afraid  Marken 
will  be  swallowed  by  some  of  the  big  fish  around 
it." 

"That's  where  an  autocrat  comes  in,"  declared 
Kent.  "A  first-class  autocrat  ought  to  be  a  big 
enough  fish  to  go  out,  and,  under  the  guise  of 
charity,  culture,  or  some  other  bosh  like  that, 
swallow  the  other  fellow  first.  Any  sort  of  an 
excuse  will  do,  just  so  he  eats  them,  dead  or  alive. 
I'm  rather  a  believer  in  autocrats,  myself.  Now, 
if  I  were  advising  Karl  the  Second,  I'd  say " 

He  stopped  abruptly,  interrupted  by  a  prolonged 
peal  of  thunder,  and  when  it  died  away  there  be- 
came audible  a  terrific  bumping  and  thumping 
on  the  door  outside  as  some  one  knocked  for  in- 
gress. At  the  same  moment  the  door  from  the 
kitchen  opened  hurriedly,  and  the  gnarled  widow 
entered. 

' '  Some  one  wants  in — some  one  who  raps  on  the 
outside  door,"  she  grumbled. 

[21] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MR.  KENT 

"Well,  let  them  in,"  said  Kent,  and  Ivan,  read- 
ing his  lips,  straightened  np  and  stepped  back- 
ward to  his  corner  intent  on  withdrawing  himself 
now  that  others  desired  audience  with  his  em- 
ployer. 


[22] 


CHAPTEE  TWO 

THE  widow  opened  the  door  leading  from  the 
room  to  the  little  storm  entrance,  a  mere 
square  of  vestibule,  and  withdrew  the  bolts 
from  the  outer  door.  She  swung  it  wide  and 
stepped  back.  Instantly,  as  if  already  rendered 
impatient  by  the  delay,  a  man  stepped  inside.  A 
long  raincoat  dripped  water  on  the  floor  and  the 
visor  of  his  military  cap  trickled  until,  annoyed, 
he  jerked  it  from  his  head  and  wiped  his  brow 
with  his  hand.  He  appeared  to  be  scarcely  more 
than  thirty  years  of  age,  and  of  slender  frame,  but 
with  an  erect  carriage  that  lent  him  a  false  dimen- 
sion of  height. 

Close  behind  him  crowded  a  burly,  gray-haired 
man  with  fierce  moustaches  demanding  more  at- 
tention than  any  other  part  of  his  face,  who  pursed 
his  lips  and  blew  the  water  from  this  adornment 
with  a  single  loud,  explosive  "Poof !"  His  eyes, 
round,  pale,  and  staring,  almost  child-like  but 
appraising,  fixed  themselves  on  Kent  across  his 
leader's  shoulder,  and  at  sight  of  them  Kent,  who 
had  looked  up  with  casual  curiosity,  smiled  slightly 
and  arose. 

[23] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MR.  KENT 

"We  are  sorry  to  disturb  you,"  said  the 
younger  man,  in  apologetic  French,  "but  we  fail 
to  find  an  inn.  Yours  was  the  only  light.  Can 
you  direct  us " 

"There  is  no  inn  open  at  this  hour.  We  can 
perhaps  accommodate  you,"  Kent  replied,  and 
Ivan,  reading  his  lips,  lifted  his  eyebrows,  know- 
ing that  within  less  than  a  quarter  of  a  mile  was 
one  of  late  habit  though  excellent  repute. 

"Then "    The  young  man  turned  dejectedly 

as    if    to    consult   his    companion,    while    Keut 
watched  him, 

"Perhaps,"  suggested  Kent,  "you  could  be 
comfortable  here;  you  and — your  friend.  You're 
welcome. ' ' 

Ivan  wondered  at  his  pertinacity. 

"But  her  High — My  sister  and  her  maid  are 
outside, ' '  the  younger  man  said,  with  faint  eager- 
ness. "My  sister  and  her  maid,  and  the  man 
who — their  chauffeur.  Can  you  provide  for  so 
many?" 

"Easily,  if  you  don't  mind  a  little  discomfort," 
was  the  instant  response.  "Bring  them  in.  Don't 
keep  them  out  there  in  the  rain." 

The  elder  man,  with  a  grunt,  swung  round  and 
reopened  the  door  of  the  vestibule  through  which 
the  younger  man,  as  if  too  relieved  to  think  for 
the  moment  of  offering  thanks,  preceded  him  out 
into  the  storm. 
[24] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MR.  KENT 

"You  said  there  was  no  inn!"  indignantly  re- 
monstrated the  old  peasant  woman.  "You  said 
that " 

"S-s-sh!"  Kent  silenced  her,  with  twinkling 
eyes.  "Forget  that,"  he  said,  quietly.  "All  you 
are  to  do  is  to  see  that  they  are  made  comfortable. 
Understand?"  he  rapped  out  like  an  order,  on 
discovering  that  she  still  hesitated.  Grumbling, 
but  obedient,  and  more  or  less  subjugated,  she 
turned  back  toward  her  kitchen  just  as  the  outer 
door  opened  and  through  it  stepped  a  young  wo- 
man who,  without  hesitation,  walked  to  the  fire 
and  with  gloved  fingers  fumbled  at  the  buttons  of 
her  coat,  and  doffed  it  with  an  air  of  satisfaction, 
exposing  a  graceful,  well-rounded  figure  clad  in 
a  serviceable  tailored  costume.  Kent,  watching 
her,  and  ignored,  saw  that  her  fine  eyes  were  som- 
bre and  absent,  as  if  her  mind  were  concentrated 
on  something  other  than  her  surroundings,  and 
that  her  hands,  when  ungloved  and  lifted  with 
feminine  habitude  to  adjust  her  disordered,  ex- 
quisite hair,  were  white  and  graceful.  Her  features 
were  refined,  sensitive,  well  bred,  and  of  strength. 
Her  lips,  grave,  and  compressed,  made  him  won- 
der what  they  might  be  like  when  relaxed  by 
laughter.  Tenderness  and  strength,  he  decided, 
were  her  characteristics  and  he  was  not  quite 
certain  but  what,  under  different  circumstances, 

[25] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

she  might  appear  beautiful ;  even  to  the  indifferent 
judgment  of  a  fiscal  agent. 

Behind  her  came  a  most  haughty  personage 
carrying  a  jewel  case.  Nothing  save  the  fact  that 
she  carried  it  indicated  that  this  might  be  the  maid 
and  the  other  the  mistress. 

"Well,"  said  the  lady  with  the  box,  addressing 
him  abruptly,  " can't  you  offer  a  chair?" 

She  fixed  Kent  with  a  haughty  stare,  and  he, 
realising  that  in  his  inspection  of  his  new  guest 
he  had  forgotten  to  be  polite,  felt  rebuffed,  and 
hastened  to  make  amends. 

"Pardon  me,"  he  said,  lamely.    "I  forgot." 

He  drew  two  chairs  toward  the  fireplace,  and 
was  then  aware  that  during  his  ministrations  the 
door  had  opened  and  another  young  man  had  en- 
tered carrying  a  suitcase  and  handbag.  This,  he 
decided,  eyeing  the  visitor's  long,  gauntleted 
gloves,  was  the  chauffeur.  The  latter  carefully 
deposited  the  luggage  out  of  the  way  at  one  side, 
removed  his  cap  and  stood  by  the  door.  He  ap- 
peared to  be  the  youngest  of  the  party  and  was 
clean  and  fearless  of  face  and  eyes.  Kent,  the 
student  of  men,  mentally  valuing  him,  concluded 
that  he  liked  the  young  man  as  one  who  could  be 
depended  upon  in  almost  any  emergency.  He  had 
scant  time  for  his  inspection;  for  the  door  from 
the  vestibule  again  swung  open  and  the  two  men 
who  had  first  disturbed  him  appeared,  closed  the 
[26] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MR.  KENT 

door  after  them  and  divested  themselves  of  their 
raincoats.  The  younger  man,  evidently  the  leader 
of  the  party,  was  clad  in  the  uniform  of  an  offi- 
cer of  hussars  from  which  the  shoulder  insignia 
was  missing,  and  his  high  boot  tops  were  here 
and  there  splattered  with  mud,  proof  that  his 
ride  had  been  far  from  leisurely.  One  of  the 
frogs  of  his  coat  braid  had  been  torn  loose  and 
dangled  by  a  thread  as  if  it  had  been  ripped  away 
in  the  haste  of  fastening  it,  and  one  of  his  spurs 
was  missing.  He  fumbled  absently  at  his  belt, 
unfastened  it,  and  threw  belt  and  sword  carelessly 
on  top  of  the  suitcase  before  turning  toward  the 
fire.  His  stout  and  elderly  companion  was  far 
from  being  as  neat  in  his  attire,  being  clad  in  a 
rather  startling  mixture  consisting  of  a  pair  of 
dress  trousers  tucked  into  cavalry  boots,  a  dress 
waistcoat  exposing  a  soiled  dress  shirt  front,  and 
a  heavy  hunting  coat  from  each  pocket  of  which 
protruded  letters  and  papers  crammed  hastily 
inward.  Around  his  portly  waist  was  strapped  a 
cavalry  sabre  and,  mixed  with  the  papers  in  one- 
pocket  of  his  coat,  projected  the  handle  of  a  huge 
revolver.  Before  he  was  clear  of  his  raincoat  he 
began  roaring  orders1  like  an  important  guest 
newly  arrived  at  an  inn. 

"Here,  Woman,"  he  called  to  the  aged  peasant 
dame.  "Have  some  one  take  our  horses  to  a 
stable,  rub  them  down,  water  and  feed  them.  Not 

[27] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

too  much,  mind  you!  And  you  might  take  these 
raincoats  out  and  clean  the  mud  off  the  skirts. 
And  bring  us  all  something  hot  to  drink.  Quickly ! 
We  're  half  frozen  and  wet  to  our  hearts ! ' ' 

With  considerable  resentment  she  faced  Kent, 
as  if  accepting  orders  from  none  other,  and  he, 
smiling  sardonically,  made  a  swift  gesture  com- 
manding her  to  obey.  She  sniffed  her  nose  high 
in  the  air,  tossed  her  head  and  disappeared.  The 
younger  man,  in  the  meantime,  with  an  air  of  great 
weariness  and  dejection,  dropped  into  a  chair  by 
the  side  of  the  fireplace,  where  he  suddenly  leaned 
forward  until  his  elbows  rested  on  his  knees  and 
held  his  white,  well-kept  hands  toward  the  blaze. 
On  one  of  his  fingers  was  a  huge  old  signet  ring 
that  now  and  then  he  absently  twisted  in  distrac- 
tion, while  moodily  staring  in  front  of  him. 

Kent,  finding  himself  still  ignored,  smiled  know- 
ingly and  reoccupied  his  chair  by  the  desk,  where 
he  pretended  to  absorb  himself  in  a  book.  Ivan, 
taking  the  cue  from  his  master,  resumed  his  search 
of  the  book  shelves  as  if  receiving  unexpected 
guests  on  such  a  night  was  a  regular  routine,  and 
the  young  officer  by  the  door,  on  an  invitation 
from  the  leader  of  the  group,  joined  the  others  by 
the  fireplace  in  an  attitude  of  respectful  waiting. 

"Well,  we  are  this  far  and "  began  the 

elder  man,  in  his  booming  French,  and  then,  re- 
calling that  they  were  not  alone,  turned  stiffly  and 
[28] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

stared  at  Kent,  made  a  significant  gesture  of 
warning  with  his  hand,  and  changed  to  a  dialect 
language  that  was  plainly  a  mixture  of  German, 
French  and  Italian  in  quality.  Had  he  been  ob- 
serving the  financial  agent  he  might  have  been 
startled  by  another  flicker  of  a  smile  on  that  ab- 
sorbed gentleman's  features  due  to  the  fact  that 
Kent,  the  polyglot,  spoke  the  language  of  Marken 
almost  as  fluently  as  he  did  his  own  tongue. 

"And  a  close  call  it  was,  too,  Your  Majesty.  It 
was  very  fortunate  that  I  had  the  foresight  to 
divert  them  from  following  Captain  Paulo  across 
the  border  by " 

The  king  of  Marken  interrupted  him  impar 
tiently. 

1 1  Your  foresight  ?  Humph !  It  seems  to  me  that 
if  your  foresight  as  chancellor  of  my  kingdom  had 
amounted  to  much,  we  should  never  have  been 
compelled  to  run  like  a  hutch  of  rabbits  to  save 
our  lives!  But,  anyway,  my  sister  is  safe,'*  he 
concluded,  and  then  observing  that  the  acting 
chauffeur,  Captain  Paulo,  appeared  restlessly 
eager  to  speak,  added,  "What  is  it,  Paulo?" 

"Does  it  not  seem  best,  Sire,  that  I  stand  guard 
outside  the  door  for  at  least  an  hour  or  two  to 
make  certain  that  we  are  not  pursued,  even  here 
across  the  border?  We  are  but  an  hour's  ride 

from  it " 

[29] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

He  hesitated.  The  king  vented  a  short,  bitter 
laugh. 

"Go  ahead,"  he  said.  "What  you  mean  to  say 
is  that  our  cousin,  Baron  Provarsk,  is  not  the  sort 
to  pay  much  attention  to  boundaries  on  a  dark 
night  when  out  for  a  chase?" 

"Exactly,  Sir." 

"Then  do  as  you  wish,"  the  king  assented,  with 
a  shrug  of  his  shoulders  and  a  gesture  of  help- 
lessness. Instantly,  and  with  an  air  of  willing- 
ness, the  young  officer  saluted  and  passed  outside 
to  stand  guard  in  the  storm. 

"Karl,  I  can  not  yet  see  the  sense  of  all  this," 
asserted  the  princess,  who  up  to  now  had  not 
spoken,  and  Kent  caught  himself  starting  at  the 
musical  sound  of  her  voice. 

"But,  Your  Boyal  Highness!"  blurted  the 
chancellor,  "it  would  have  been  extremely  dan- 
gerous for  you  to  have  remained  there.  I  foresaw 
that,  and  being  a  man  of  action,  I " 

He  paused,  interrupted  by  the  opening  of  the 
door  from  the  kitchen  and  the  appearance  of  the 
peasant  woman  wearing,  draped  about  her  head 
and  shoulders,  a  gunny  sack  that  she  had  used 
to  protect  herself  from  the  rain.  She  glared 
haughtily  at  the  visitors  and  spoke  directly  to 
Kent,  the  only  one  she  acknowledged  as  her 
master. 

"I  have  put  the  horses  in  the  woodshed,"  she 
[30] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

announced.  "That  fool  Peter  helped.  He  is 
feeding  them  now.  The  poor  beasts !  Scandalous, 
I  call  it,  to  ride  animals  so  hard  on  such  a  night!" 

Kent  smiled  at  her  tolerantly. 

"That  being  done,"  he  said,  "you  will  now  pre- 
pare the  best  chamber  for  our  lady  guests.  Make 
it  comfortable  in  every  way  you  can.  After  that, 
do  the  best  you  can  with  other  rooms. '  ' 

The  lady's  maid,  as  if  to  assure  herself  of  the 
princess'  comfort,  arose,  saying,  "I  will  help  you. 
Please  lead  the  way,"  and,  when  the  peasant 
woman  disappeared,  followed  her.  Kent,  after  a 
glance  at  his  guests,  who,  as  if  too  dejected  to 
be  interested  in  anything  save  their  own  plight, 
still  stared  at  the  fire,  again  resumed  his  pretence 
of  reading.  Now  and  then  his  bushy  eyebrows 
tightened  and  his  mouth  took  on  a  grim,  firm  look, 
as  if  he  were  slowly  threshing  his  way  toward  a 
resolution;  but  his  guests,  evidently  feeling  safe 
behind  the  barrier  of  their  language,  again  took 
up  their  conversation. 

"What  I  fail  to  understand,  despite  your  some- 
what lame  explanations,  Von  Glutz,"  remarked 
the  king  with  asperity,  "is  how  Provarsk  could 
have  hatched  his  plot  and  taken  possession  of 
the  palace  before  you  suspected  it." 

"A  chancellor  can  not  see  everything,"  dog- 
gedly grumbled  Von  Glutz.  "And  you  will  re- 

[31] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

member,  Sire,  that  it  was  you  who  did  away  with 
our  secret  service." 

"Bah!  Why  not!  It  accomplished  nothing, 
and  cost  much  to  keep." 

1 1  Now  when  your  father  was  alive,  under  whom 
you  must  not  forget  I  had  the  extreme  honour  to 

act  as  chancellor "  began  Von  Glutz,  crustily 

and  pompously. 

"Yes,  Father  willed  you  to  us,"  interjected 
the  princess  with  acerbity. 

The  chancellor  said, ' '  Humph !  Hum-m ! ' '  nois- 
ily, and  then,  having  cleared  his  throat  prepara- 
tory to  speaking,  contented  himself  by  getting 
extremely  red  in  the  face,  opened  his  lips,  closed 
them,  and  tugged  at  his  white  moustache. 

"And  things  went  from  bad  to  worse,  regard- 
less of  all  I  wanted  to  do  for  my  people!"  The 
king  spoke  with  a  voice  of  regret  and  sorrow. 

This  evidence  of  sincerity  appeared  to  be  the 
final  spur  necessary  to  bring  Kent  to  a  decision. 
He  turned  slowly  around  and  stared  hard  at  the 
young  man,  then  abruptly  closed  his  book,  tossed 
it  on  the  table  and  said,  addressing  him  in  the 
tongue  of  Marken,  "And  so,  abandoning  your 
good  intentions,  you  ran  away,  eh?" 

The  falling  of  one  of  the  beams  of  the  ceiling 

could  scarcely  have  proven  more  startling  to  the 

three  refugees  by  the  fireplace.    The  king  pivoted 

in  his  chair  and  faced  Kent  with  a  look  of  con- 

[32] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MR.  KENT 

sternation.  The  princess,  aghast,  opened  her 
eyes  widely,  and  the  chancellor,  bristling  with 
annoyance,  jumped  to  his  feet  and  roared  loudly, 
' '  What  business  have  you  listening  ?  Do  you  know 
whom  you  are  addressing?" 

To  a  man  who,  throughout  his  life,  had  been 
accustomed  to  see  his  hearers  quail  when  he  vented 
that  tremendous  roar,  the  effect  was  more  than 
disappointing.  The  roar  seemed  to  have  lost  its 
efficacy ;  for  the  financial  agent  merely  grinned  at 
him  and  snapped  his  fingers.  He  even  had  the 
temerity  to  eye  the  chancellor  slowly  from  his 
round  eyes  down  to  the  tips  of  his  boots,  then  back 
up  again;  almost  contemptuously,  but  with  infinite 
good  nature.  Yet  there  was  something  about  him 
suggesting  that  he  might  grin  just  as  pleasantly 
if  he  were  ordering  the  chancellor  to  be  taken  out 
to  the  hen  house  and  hanged  by  his  fat  neck. 

" Suppose  you  drop  that  style  of  talk  with  me," 
he  said  at  last,  "and  sit  down  like  a  good  boy. 
Certainly  I  know  whom  I  address.  Otherwise — 
Humph !  I  don't  think  I'd  take  the  trouble.  This 
pleasant  little  party  consists,  first,  of  Her  Royal 
Highness,  Princess  Eloise ;  second,  of  His  Majesty, 
Karl  Second,  King  of  Marken,  and  third,  of  His 
Excellency,  that  clever,  astute  and  far-sighted 
chancellor,  Baron  Von  Glutz." 

He  chuckled  softly  as  the  chancellor  writhed 
under  his  sarcasm,  stuttered,  threatened  apo- 

[33] 


-  THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

plexy,  and  then  added,  with  a  soft  drawl  that  even 
the  language  of  Marken  could  not  hide,  " Don't 
trouble  to  speak,  Baron,  if  it  hurts  you.  I  un- 
doubtedly have  the  advantage  of  you  in  this,  that 
while  you  don't  know  who  I  am,  which  after  all 
matters  but  little,  I  know  all  about  you." 

"You — you — you — Impudence,  I  call  it!  How 
dare  you " 

"Easy!  Easy,  Baron,"  he  admonished,  with 
much  of  the  good  nature  vanishing  from  his  eyes, 
and  his  firm  mouth  adjusting  itself  to  harshness. 
"Best  not  make  a  fool  of  yourself.  You  have  my 
permission  to  scowl  at  me.  Perhaps  it's  just  as 
well,  so  that  in  future  meetings,  if  there  are  any, 
you  can  identify  me  quickly  and  thus  learn  to 
suppress  what  I  fear  is — shall  we  say — a  rather 
truculent  temper." 

The  king,  who  had  watched  him  closely,  evi- 
dently had  greater  control  of  his  emotions  and 
faced  his  chancellor  sharply. 

"Baron,  sit  down,"  he  said,  quietly.  "We  are 
not  in  a  position  to  domineer.  You  forget  your- 
self. We  are  this  gentleman's  guests,  although, 
as  he  says,  he  has  an  advantage  of  knowledge." 

Kent  refused  to  accept  this  suggestion  that  he 
make  himself  known  and  turned  to  his  desk  and 
the  steel  despatch  box  which  he  had  opened  and 
took  therefrom  a  packet  of  papers  that  rustled  as 
he  spread  them  before  him. 
[34] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

"That  there  may  be  no  further  doubt  of  my 
knowledge,"  he  said,  drily,  "and  that  you  may 
realise  how  thoroughly  I  do  know  you,  I  ask  you 
to  kindly  listen  while  I  read." 

The  face  of  the  princess  expressed  nothing  save 
expectancy,  while  the  king  watched  his  strange 
host  with  a  look  of  curiosity.  The  chancellor,  sub- 
dued momentarily  by  the  command  of  his  superior, 
fidgeted  and  moved  restlessly  in  his  chair. 

Without  preliminary,  Kent  read,  slowly,  dis- 
tinctly, as  if  to  impress  his  words  upon  them,  but 
in  rather  a  kindly  tone  of  tolerance: 

' '  '  In  obedience  to  your  request  for  a  thorough 
report,  I  submit  as  follows:  After  some  six 
weeks  of  study  of  the  situation,  I  may  add.  His 
Majesty  Karl  II  is  in  character  a  well-meaning, 
morally  clean  young  man.  He  has  neither  bad 
nor  extravagant  habits.  There  is  small  doubt 
that  he  cares  for  his  people  and  has  at  all  times 
their  welfare  at  heart.  His  unfortunate  failing 
is  that  he  clings  to  the  old  monarchical  ideas,  but 
without  the  strength  and  firmness  to  enforce  them 
upon  his  subjects  and  thereby  control  them.  He 
may  possibly  have  the  courage  to  face  the  issues 
that  are  certain  to  confront  him  as  a  ruler,  but 
I  am  inclined  to  doubt  it.  He  is  too  kindly  dis- 
posed and  is  given  to  the  evasion  of  harsh  or  un- 
pleasant duties,  the  prompt  meeting  and  deciding 
of  which  can  alone  make  his  reign  a  success.  I 

[35] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MR.  KENT 

had  not  the  means  of  studying  him  very  closely, 
and  therefore  may  he  mistaken ;  yet  I  can  not  help 
hut  regard  him,  until  he  proves  otherwise,  as 
what  is  termed  a  Slacker.'  " 

He  paused  and  looked  up  at  the  king,  who  hit 
his  lip,  frowned  thoughtfully,  and  said,  quietly, 
"It  is  the  truth !" 

The  princess  gazed  at  her  brother  angrily,  and 
urged  him  to  speak  in  his  own  defence. 

"Karl!  Karl!"  she  demanded  indignantly. 
"Are  you  going  to  sit  here  and  let  a  stranger  dare 
to  criticise  you  in  this  manner?" 

"If  the  princess  will  hut  listen,"  Kent  hegan 
politely,  and  with  an  air  of  deference ;  but  was  in- 
terrupted by  the  chancellor,  who  again  blustered 
until  he  was  silenced.  And  that,  too,  without 
politeness  or  deference. 

' '  Suppose,  Baron,  you  keep  out  of  this ! ' '  Kent's 
voice  was  stern  albeit  satirical.  1 1  No,  no ;  wait  a 
moment,  and  I'll  give  you  an  excuse  to  talk.  The 
best  part  of  this  report  deals  with  you,  and  no 
doubt  an  outside  appraisal  of  your  character 
might  prove  interesting." 

He  flipped  the  pages  over  rapidly,  paying  no 
heed  to  the  chancellor's  angry  protests,  until  he 
interrupted  with  a  dry, ' '  Here  we  are ! ' '  and  again 
read  aloud :  "  '  Chancellor  Von  Glutz  is  in  person 
a  large,  pot-bellied  man  with  a  bulbous  red  nose, 
eyes  like  a  golliwog's,  given  to  boasting,  over- 
[36] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

eating  and  arrogance,  who  has  a  vastly  exalted 
opinion  of  himself;  and  is,  in  reality,  a  man  of 
but  mediocre  ability.'  Steady!  Steady,  Baron! 
I've  not  finished." 

"Yes,  do  be  quiet!"  insisted  the  king,  with  a 
slight  grin  of  satisfaction. 

"  l  It  is  largely  due  to  his  incompetence  and  pig- 
headedness  that  the  kingdom  is  secretly  in  a  state 
of  unrest  at  the  time  of  rendering  this  report; 
but  it  is  doubtful  if  the  king  will  dismiss  him  from 
office  inasmuch  as  the  baron  is  a  sort  of  family 
heirloom.  I  find  nothing  to  his  credit  save  that 
he  is  bluntly  honest  and  loyal.'  " 

" There  you  are,  Baron!"  the  king  laughed, 
almost  gleefully ;  but  the  chancellor,  after  gasping 
like  a  large  and  overfat  codfish  hauled  from  deep 
water,  was  now  on  his  feet,  bristling  with  rage,  his 
eyes  completely  round  and  blazing,  his  moustaches 
quivering,  his  face  red,  and  his  fist  clenched  and 
threatening  assault  on  Kent,  who  grinned  cheer- 
fully and  said  in  English,  "Hoity-toity!  Got  a 
rise  out  of  you  that  time,  you  old  porpoise!" 

"By  what  right,  I  demand  to  know,"  shouted 
the  baron,  "did  you  dare  to  send  a  detective  to 
Markenl  You  have  gone  too  far,  even  if  we  do 
have  to  accept  you  as  host.  By  what  right,  sir? 
Answer  me!" 

Kent's  bushy  eyebrows  closed  in  a  heavy  frown 
and  all  tolerance  and  good-humour  disappeared. 

[37] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

Even  his  voice  underwent  a  subtle  change  and 
became  frigid  and  emphatic.  His  eyes  coldly  met 
and  held  those  of  the  chancellor. 

"If  any  one  had  the  right  to  investigate  the 
procedure  by  which  you  and  your  king,  between 
you,  botched  up  the  affairs  of  Marken,  I  am  that 
man.  Let's  be  done  with  paltering,  flattery,  and 
rubbish,  and  talk  plainly.  I  happen  to  be  Rich- 
ard Kent,  who,  as  confidential  agent  for  John 
Ehodes,  gave  the  unfortunate  advice  by  which 
he  advanced  five  million  dollars  in  gold  to  start 
Karl  the  Second,  just  come  to  the  throne,  free 
from  other  debt.  Oh,  I  had  right  enough!  You 
may  rest  assured." 

As  if  touched  by  an  electric  spark,  the  king 
arose  from  his  chair,  stared  for  an  instant,  and 
then  slowly  dropped  back  again  with  a  long  sigh 
of  resignation.  Von  Glutz  breathed  heavily 
through  his  nose,  and  appeared  to  wilt  into  an 
equal  state  of  helplessness.  There  was  a  mo- 
ment's silence  in  which  Kent  sternly  eyed  him, 
and  then  a  voice  broke  out,  filled  with  anger  and 
defiance,  that  of  the  princess  Eloise. 

"And  so,"  she  said,  scornfully,  "the  vultures 
gather  on  the  borders,  waiting  to  fatten  from  our 
misfortunes!" 

"Mademoiselle — Your  Royal  Highness! 

You " 

[38] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MR.  KENT 

She  swept  his  attempted  defence  aside  with  an 
eloquent  gesture. 

* '  John  Ehodes !  The  nightmare  that  has  been 
over  our  heads  for  four  years.  Men  might  worry 
and  work,  but  John  Rhodes'  interest  must  be  paid ! 
That  magnificent  usurer  who  thrives  fat  from  the 
misfortunes  of  Nations,  of  peoples,  of  private 
enterprises.  The  gigantic  spider  that  crouched 
behind  the  war,  waiting,  that  he  might  plunge  for- 
ward with  money  and  twist  his  prey  harder  than 
ever.  Shylock  clutched  and  hung  to  his  pitiable 
victims.  And  you  have  the  affrontery  to  tell  us 
here  to-night,  when  we  are  your  reluctant  guests, 
with  everything  lost  behind  us,  that  you  are  the 
agent  of  the  infamous  John  Rhodes ! ' ' 

Kent  looked  at  her  in  a  strange  admixture  of 
annoyance  and  admiration.  Here,  at  least,  was 
one  who  was  not  afraid.  His  eyes  lowered  them- 
selves to  the  papers  on  his  desk.  And  it  was  as 
if  the  great  John  Rhodes  before  whom,  as  she 
said,  kings  and  financiers  alike  had  trembled,  was 
for  the  first  time  being  presented  to  Kent's  mind 
in  true  light.  She  waited  for  his  defence ;  indeed, 
demanded  it  as  eloquently  through  the  silence  of 
the  room  as  if  she  had  voiced  long  sentences  ask- 
ing him  what  he  could  say  to  purge  from  the  char- 
acter of  John  Rhodes  those  charges  and  imputa- 
tions that  she  had  so  stonnily  assembled  against 
him. 

[39] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MR.  KENT 

"It  is  true,"  he  said,  thoughtfully,  "that  I  am 
the  agent  of  John  Rhodes.  But  I  have  not,  as  your 
Royal  Highness  implies,  been  set  here  as  a  spy 
in  waiting  for  your  flight — for  an  abdication,  or 
to  make  terms  for  John  Rhodes*  protection.  My 
being  here  is  an  accident. " 

She  shrugged  her  shoulders  with  an  air  of  dis- 
dain, as  if  expecting  a  financial  agent  to  evade  or 
lie.  It  added  to  his  distress.  Men  he  understood, 
and  could  fight.  He  was  no  quaverer.  He  had, 
in  his  capacity  as  agent,  boldly  met  and  boldly 
browbeaten  half  the  chancelleries  of  Europe.  His 
nerve  and  bravery  were  recognised  by  those  of 
far  more  importance  than  any  one  connected  with 
this  paltry,  petty,  betinselled  little  kingdom  that 
had  survived  by  accident,  and  whose  disruption 
had  been  delayed  by  his  own  efforts,  merely  be- 
cause it  was  the  whim  of  John  Rhodes,  for  finan- 
cial purposes  of  his  own,  that  it  should  continue 
to  exist. 

"An  accident?'*  she  said,  mockingly.  "An  ac- 
cident !  They  are  strange,  such  accidents  as  these ! 
Mr.  Richard  Kent  admits  to  being  the  financial 
emissary  for  the  gentle  Mr.  Rhodes!  Rhodes! 
whose  crimes  of  selfishness  and  remissness  are 
greater  than  those  of  any  man  living.  Who  ever 
heard  of  John  Rhodes  ever  doing  anything  to 
lessen  the  cares  and  sorrows  of  kingdoms,  or  of 
peoples?  The  Rothschilds,  with  less  power  than 
[40] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

this  hard-hearted  American,  found  ways  to  save 
many;  but  not  so  Rhodes.  There  was  in  them  a 
respect  for  the  dignity  of  those  who  had  suffered 
responsibilities  and  a  desire  to  assist  those  na- 
tions that  struggled  for  existence,  and  because 
they  had  endured,  were  worthy  of  some  respect 
and  veneration;  but  Rhodes,  the  cruel,  uncanny, 
and  monstrous  genius  of  money,  has  no  such  sav- 
ing grace.  Not  even  you,  his  agent,  can  truthfully 
tell  of  one  unselfish  and  kindly  act  in  his  career. 
I  am  not  afraid  to  tell  you  this,  though  'like 
master  like  man'  is  a  fine  old  proverb  in  your 
tongue.  And  you  have  the  temerity  to  declare 
that  you  were  not  lying  here  in  wait;  that 
you " 

Without  thought  she  had  advanced,  as  she  tem- 
pestuously spoke,  until  she  stood  at  the  end  of  the 
desk,  and  he,  to  meet  her  approach,  arose  and,  from 
its  opposite  side,  stood  and  looked  at  her.  The 
king  and  chancellor  in  turn  tried  to  check  her, 
but  she  imperiously  waved  them  aside.  Her 
beauty  alone  would  have  commanded  deference 
from  Kent ;  but  there  was  added  to  it  the  desperate 
indignation  of  tricked  fearlessness,  and  a  reck- 
less desire  to  speak  that  over  which  she  had 
thought  in  previous  days.  It  was  debt  that  had 
ruined  her  house.  And  the  agent  of  debt,  justly 
or  unjustly,  stood  before  her  for  arraignment. 

"Does  not  your  Royal  Highness  understand," 

[41] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

objected  the  chancellor  pleadingly,  "that  you  are 
making  a  powerful  enemy  of  the  only  man,  pos- 
sibly, who  can  assit  us  in  the  future?" 

"Future?  There  is  no  future!"  she  declared, 
impatiently  gesturing  the  baron  aside ;  but  Kent, 
who  stood  almost  stolidly  under  her  words,  ob- 
jected to  interference. 

"If  you  please,  Baron,"  he  said,  steadily,  "I 
prefer  that  the  princess  have  her  say.  She  is  at 
least  candid  and  honest.  From  her  at  least  I 
shall  not  find  subterfuge."  He  stepped  around 
the  side  of  the  desk  until  his  back  was  to  Von 
Glutz,  and  also  by  the  change  he  carelessly  and 
impolitely  ignored  the  king. 

"I  implore  your  Highness  to  proceed,"  he  said, 
respectfully,  yet  firmly  meeting  her  eyes.  ' 1  There 
is  nothing  that  so  clarifies  the  atmosphere  of  mis- 
understandings as  freely  uttered  truths.  And — 
Mademoiselle — even  a  money  lender  may  be  per- 
mitted to  admire  bravery  such  as  yours.  I  have 
told  you  that  my  being  here  was  an  accident.  I 
told  the  truth.  Is  it  fair  and  just  to  believe  that 
I  also  may  not  be  candid?  To  condemn  me,  un- 
heard, as  a  liar  ?  Neither  of  us  is  afraid !  I  lis- 
ten." 

For  some  reason  that  she  could  not  have  an- 
alysed, her  defiance  faltered  and  waned.  There 
was  the  protest  of  honour  affronted  in  his  quiet 
musical  voice,  that  had  dismissed  severity  and 
[42] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

command  from  its  tone  when  he  turned  to  her 
from  the  faltering  chancellor;  and  she  suddenly 
discerned  in  this  alien  some  prodigious  power, 
some  inflexible  strength,  that  hitherto,  blinded  by 
anger,  she  had  not  recognised. 

"What  is  the  need?"  she  asked  lamely.  "You 
are  in  a  position  to  laugh  at  our  distress ;  a  dis- 
tress that  you  do  not,  and  can  not,  understand! 

Oh,  if  I  were  a  man "    She  paused.   He  smiled 

vaguely,  at  this  sign  of  femininity. 

"Other  women  have  said  that,"  he  declared, 
softly.  "Other  brave  women — ever  since  thrones 
and  kings  began.  It  is  the  most  hackneyed  cry  of 
creation.  And  I  doubt  not  that  if  you  were " 

He  turned  sharply  as  the  sound  of  a  door 
opening  disturbed  him,  and  glanced  across  the 
room  to  where  the  lady-in-waiting  had  entered  and 
stood  with  her  hand  upon  the  latch. 

"Your  Royal  Highness'  apartment  is  ready," 
the  lady-in-waiting  said,  as  perfunctorily  as  if 
they  were  still  in  a  royal  palace  and  undisturbed. 
The  king  arose  to  his  feet,  wearily,  and  the  chan- 
cellor bowed  punctiliously  before  the  princess  as 
she  slowly  turned  and  advanced  toward  the  door. 
She  paused  for  an  instant,  as  if  torn  by  a  desire 
to  speak  again,  hesitated  with  other  words  on  her 
lips,  perhaps  those  of  appeal  to  the  man  she  had 
so  valiantly  defied,  and  then  slowly  passed  from 
sight 

[43] 


CHAPTER  THREE 

THE  king,  harassed  by  his  own  misfortunes, 
slowly  dropped  back  to  his  seat,  and  re- 
sumed his  listless  attitude  while  staring 
into  the  fire  that  crackled  and  glowed  as  a  black 
log  dropped,  broken,  to  be  consumed  in  the  bed 
of  embers  beneath,  symbol  of  his  broken  kingdom 
from  which  he  had  fled.  The  chancellor,  diplo- 
matic, become  obsequious  in  the  presence  of  the 
man  who  stood  as  a  possible  dictator  of  destiny, 
stared  at  Kent,  and  resumed  that  nervous  tug- 
ging at  his  moustache.  Kent,  bent  from  the  hips 
forward,  still  leaned  across  the  desk,  with  his 
eyes  fastened  absently  on  the  door  through  which 
the  princess  had  departed. 

"I  hope,"  said  the  chancellor,  apologetically, 
"that  Mister  Kent  does  not  take  too  seriously 
what  the  Princess  Eloise  has  said!  Her  Royal 
Highness  is  exhausted.  She  has  endured  much  to- 
night, and — at  times  all  of  us  are  worn  to  irri- 
tability." 

Abruptly  Kent  scowled  at  him  and  stood  erect. 
Almost  resentfully,  he  said,  "The  princess  re- 
quires no  champion.  She  appears  abundantly 
[44] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

able  to  fight  her  own  battles.  Better,  I  might 
suggest,  than  some  of  those  stalwarts  around 
her." 

Heedless  of  the  chancellor's  discomfiture,  he 
walked  around  the  desk  and  seated  himself,  with 
all  the  air  of  energy  and  business  capability  that 
dominated  him  when  on  guard.  He  folded  the 
scattered  papers,  placed  them  in  an  envelope,  put 
them  back  into  the  despatch  box,  and  then 
brusquely  turned  toward  the  king. 

"Now  that  we  understand  more  or  less  of  the 
conditions,"  he  said,  coldly,  "I  should  like  to 
have  you  tell  me  exactly  what  happened  in  Marken 
that  explains  your  presence  here  in  this  village. 
You  need  not  hesitate  or  stand  on  your  dignity. 
I  have  talked  with  other  fallen  kings.  I  have  made 
and  unmade  some  of  them,"  he  added,  with  grim 
significance. 

The  king  looked  at  him  and  smiled,  almost  sadly, 
yet  not  without  dignity.  The  chancellor,  after  a 
perplexed  and  hesitating  glance,  grunted,  wiped 
his  bald  head  with  his  handkerchief,  and  left  the 
task  of  reply  to  royalty.  The  king  shrugged  his 
shoulders,  and  his  eyes  wandered  around  the 
room,  as  he  mentally  formulated  speech  and 
sought  the  true  beginning.  They  fell  upon  Ivan, 
and  for  the  first  time  he  appeared  cognisant  of  his 
presence. 

"Perhaps,"  he  suggested,  "in  the  discussion 

[45] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

of  a  subject  so  delicate  as  the  admission  of  one's 
own  defeats  it  would  be  better  if  we  were  alone." 

Kent  turned  toward  Ivan.  He  started  to  ex- 
plain the  latter 's  affliction  and  then,  checking 
himself,  said,  " Quite  right!  It  is  better  if  we 
are  alone." 

It  flashed  through  his  mind  that  it  might  be  as 
well  to  humour  the  king,  and  also  mental  habit 
controlled  him,  a  habit  of  caution  that  had  grown 
from  the  policy  that  it  was  far  better  never  to  tell 
anything  that  could  remain  untold.  He  saw  that 
his  follower's  eyes  were  on  his  lips,  and  said, 
"Ivan,  you  may  go.  I  shall  not  want  you  this 
evening. ' ' 

The  giant,  alert  in  his  own  world  of  silence, 
smiled  quietly,  understanding  all  that  was  implied, 
and  turned  toward  the  door  with  the  lost  book 
in  his  hands. 

* '  Thank  you, ' '  he  said.  ' '  If  you  need  me,  I  shall 
"be  in  my  room.  Good  night,  sir ! " 

He  bowed  to  Kent's  guests  and  passed  out, 
while  the  king,  with  an  air  of  relief,  watched  his 
departure. 

"Well,"  said  the  king  abruptly,  after  a  min- 
ute's silence,  "I  tried  to  reform  and  be  a  father 
to  my  people  without  giving  offence,  and — made 
a  mess  of  it!" 

Kent  liked  him  for  the  frankness  of  his  con- 
[46] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

fession,  and  his  eyes  softened  to  a  more  friendly 
shade. 

"His  Majesty  was  not "  began  the  chan- 
cellor. 

"Suppose  you  let  him  tell  it,"  interrupted  the 
financier.  "He  seems  to  have  maintained  his  po- 
sition as  well  as  you  did  yours." 

The  king  lifted  his  hand,  palm  outwards,  to- 
ward the  chancellor,  and  it  was  quite  as  effective 
as  if  the  open  palm  had  been  clapped  over  the 
chancellor's  mouth. 

' '  Go  ahead, ' '  Kent  urged  the  king.  ' '  You  tried 
reforms  and  they  didn't  succeed.  Most  of  them 
don't.  Er — what  particular  mania — I  mean 
brand  of  reformation,  was  yours?  Anti-gambling? 
Prohibition?  Eugenics?  Votes  for  women? 
Universal  peace?  What  was  it  you  tried?" 

At  first  the  king  scowled  at  the  American,  a 
good,  hearty  scowl  of  outraged  dignity,  and  then 
discerning  that  beneath  the  banter  was  more  or 
less  of  sympathy,  smiled  a  trifle  sadly. 

"I  tried,"  he  said,  quietly,  "to  give  them  more 
liberty." 

"Oh!"  Kent  let  the  exclamation  slip.  And 
then,  after  a  slight  pause,  "I  remember  that  yours 
was  an  absolute  monarchy.  Always  has  been; 
people  brought  up  to  respect  the  king  boisterously 
when  he  happened  to  be  respectable,  and  to  swal- 
low their  disrespect  when  he  happened  to  be  the 

[47] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

other  thing.  May  I  ask  what  form  of  liberty  you 
proposed?  Was  it  magna  charta,  or  something 
like  that! " 

1 '  Of  course  not ! ' '  indignantly  objected  the  chan- 
cellor. "The  rights  of  the  crown  had  to  be  re- 
spected." 

"Um-m-mh!  So!  Sort  of  curtailed  liberty,  eh, 
with  a  leash  on  it  that  could  be  jerked  when  ne- 
cessity arose?  Just  like  an  April  Fool  purse  de- 
signed by  a  small  boy  who  lurks  around  the  cor- 
ner." 

"I  gave  them  councils  where  they  could  vote," 
protested  the  king.  "That  was  a  step  toward  lib- 
erty, wasn't  it?" 

"But  I  suppose  your  very  able  chancellor  saw 
to  it  that  you  could  veto  any  act  passed,  and  in 
fact  dissolve  them,  any  time  they  had  plans  you 
did  not  approve  of?" 

The  king  tried  to  appear  offended,  and  the  chan- 
cellor was  sulky  and  sullen. 

"Did  you  finally  dissolve  them?"  Kent  asked, 
when  neither  answered. 

"No,"  said  the  king,  sadly.  "I  tried  to  reason 
with  them.  That  was  after  one  of  them  proposed 
a  resolution  inviting  me  to  abdicate." 

Kent  leaned  back  and  laughed  quietly. 

"Listen I"  he  said.  "There  are  just  two  ways 
of  reasoning  with  a  man  who  tries  to  throw  you 
out  of  your  own  house.  If  he  is  big  enough  to 
[48] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MR.  KENT 

do  it,  grin  and  move.  If  he  isn't,  call  for  the  police 
or  take  a  club  and  chase  him  into  the  middle  of  the 
next  block.  It  appears  they  were  strong  enough 
to  put  you  out,  so — here  you  are!" 

"No,  you  are  wrong,"  disputed  the  king.  "It 
was  not  the  people  who  caused  me  to  leave.  It 
was  my  cousin,  Baron  Provarsk,  who  wants  to 
rule  in  my  place,  and  who  laughs  and  snaps  his 
fingers  at  any  idea  of  reform." 

"I  rather  approve  of  him,"  Kent  volunteered. 
"How  did  he  do  it?" 

1 '  He  has  money.  He  gathered  a  good-sized  band 
of  mercenaries  from  the  surrounding  states,  with- 
out our  knowing  it,  surprised  the  palace  to-night, 
which  was  easy  because  I  have  dispensed  with 
much  of  a  guard,  and  we  had  to  escape." 

"His  Majesty  fails  to  be  explicit,"  declared  the 
chancellor,  crustily.  "Provarsk  would  have  mur- 
dered him." 

"But  what  I  can't  understand,"  said  Kent,  "is 
why  you  didn't  fight  it  out?  "Why  you  two  come 
mounted?  Why  Her  Eoyal  Highness  arrives  in 
a  car  accompanied  by  a  maid  and  one  officer?  Why 
didn't  all " 

"When  the  attack  was  made  it  was  entirely 
unexpected,"  explained  the  king.  "I  had  not  the 
faintest  fear  that  any  of  my  subjects  would  lay 
hands  on  my  person.  I  was  unable  to  defend  the 
palace  alone,  and  couldn't  escape  and  leave  my 

[49] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

sister  there  at  Provarsk's  mercy.  You  see,  Sir, 
my  sister  was  also  one  of  his  objects.  Twice  he 
has  tried  to  marry  her.  It  was  because  I  didn't 
want  her  to  fall  into  his  clutches  that  we  ran 
away.  We  would  have  remained  to  fight  it  out  but 
for  her  presence.  We  did  hold  them  off  until 
Captain  Paulo  had  succeeded  in  carying  her  away, 
then, — well — the  chancellor  and  I  mounted,  led 
Provarsk's  followers  off  in  the  wrong  direction 
to  give  Paulo  time,  and  rejoined  my  sister  here 
at  this  village." 

"We  fought,"  observed  the  chancellor,  as  if 
theirs  had  been  an  achievement  scarcely  worthy 
of  note.  "We  held  them  up  from  door  to  door, 
and  charged  them  once  in  the  woods,  cutting  our 
way  through  and  back  again." 

The  king  nodded  agreement,  and  Kent,  aston- 
ished, studied  both  his  and  the  chancellor's  faces 
as  if  he  had  discovered  unexpected  cause  for  com- 
mendation. 

"His  Majesty  made  most  excellent  sword  play," 
observed  the  chancellor.  "We  dared  not  fire  lest 
we  bring  others  against  us." 

The  king  lifted  his  hand  in  deprecation. 

"Well,  you  did,  Sire,"  insisted  the  chancellor. 


tested  the  king. 

"I  did  not  mind  that  so  much  as  the  difficulties 
[50] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

of  getting  Her  Eoyal  Highness  to  assent, ' '  boomed 
the  chancellor. 

"My  sister,"  explained  the  king  to  the  financier, 
"is — somewhat  difficult.  She  has — and  I  don't 
mean  this  as  disparagement  or  criticism — quite 
a  will  and  temper  of  her  own.  She  rather  stub- 
bornly insisted  on  all  of  us  remaining  and  fighting 
to  the  death." 

"Positively  refused  to  recognise  the  hopeless- 
ness of  the  odds,"  the  chancellor  seconded.  "De- 
clared she  would  go  and  face  them  alone,  which 
was  just  what  Provarsk  would  have  liked.  Tried 
to  call  for  help  by  telephone,  but  Provarsk's  crew 
had  cut  the  wires.  Tried  to  shoot  a  man  who 
crawled  round  the  balcony  toward  her  chamber, 
but  the  pistol  wasn't  loaded.  It  was  very  diffi- 
cult, sir.  Very.  We  had  to  threaten  to  carry  her 
away  by  force  for  her  own  safety  before  she  would 
go." 

"Whose  task  was  that?"  asked  Kent. 

"His  Majesty's." 

"I  should  say  that,  too,  required  some  bravery," 
commented  the  American. 

"It  did,"  assented  Von  Glutz,  grinning  drily 
and  stroking  his  nose,  in  an  effort  to  hide  his 
mirth. 

"And  this  Paulo  is?"  Kent  questioned. 

"The  captain  of  the  king's  guard,  which  un- 
fortunately consists,  owing  to  His  Majesty's  de- 

[51] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

sire  to  appear  democratic,  and  also  to  conduct 
the  affairs  of  the  kingdom  with  the  utmost  econ- 
omy, of  barely  four-score  men,  of  whom  but  five 
are  ever  on  palace  duty.  Provarsk  had  about 
fifty  followers,"  he  concluded,  as  if  to  explain  how 
the  palace  had  been  overwhelmed. 

Kent  leaned  his  chin  on  his  hand  and  meditated 
for  a  time  and  then  said,  "I  don't  see  how  you 
could  have  done  anything  else  than  escape  from 
the  palace;  but  why  cross  the  border?" 

11  There  seemed  no  other  direction  open,"  re- 
plied the  king,  with  a  heavy  sigh  of  discourage- 
ment. 

"But  certainly,  if  what  I  understand  is  correct, 
you  must  have  had  some  friend  who  could  shel- 
ter you  until  you  could  formulate  some  definite 
plan?" 

"Yes;  but  that,"  said  the  king,  "might  have 
meant  civil  war.  Bloodshed.  And  I  don't  want 
any  of  my  people  killed  on  my  account.  If  they 
have  decided  that  the  country  and  their  happiness 
are  more  assured  by  my  going — well — I  must 
go!" 

"What  do  you  think  on  those  points?"  Kent 
demanded,  frowning  at  the  king. 

"If  it  were  anybody  but  Provarsk "  the  lat- 
ter faltered,  with  an  air  of  resignation. 

"Provarsk  is  a  reactionary!  A  would-be  ty- 
rant !  A  man  who  would  think  no  more  of  taking 
[52] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

one  or  a  hundred  lives,  than  he  would  of  throw- 
ing dice  for  his  castle,"  Von  Glutz  roared. 

"With  the  natural  result  that  if  he  gets  into 
power,  the  people  of  Marken  will  at  least  have  a 
ruler,"  Kent  retorted.  "And  quite  plainly,  from 
my  way  of  thinking,  that  is  what  they  have  lacked. 
The  country  has  had  a  king  who,  with  the  best  of 
intentions,  has  been  misunderstood.  Firmness 
was  the  element  lacking.  To  like  a  man's  motives 
but  to  doubt  his  ability  to  carry  any  of  them 
through  is  even  worse  than  to  doubt  his  motives, 
but  be  certain  that,  whatever  they  are,  he  will 
force  them  over.  A  resolute  bad  man  is  frequently 
better  than  a  vacillating  good  man." 

The  king  nodded  his  head  and  scowled  at  the 
fireplace. 

"I  admit  all  that — now  that  it  is  too  late,"  he 
said,  in  a  bitter  monotone. 

"Too  late!  Heavens,  man,  you  don't  mean  to 
tell  me  that  you  are  brave  enough  to  cut  your 
way  through  a  band  of  murderers  in  the  night, 
after  defending  your  sister,  and  yet  are  ready  to 
abdicate  rather  than  make  another  fight  for  it, 
do  you?  Humph!" 

Kent's  tone  conveyed  contempt  mixed  with 
wonder. 

"I  am  not  personally  afraid  of  anything,  sir," 
declared  the  king,  nettled.  "But  I  do  not  want, 
and  will  not  have,  hundreds,  perhaps  thousands  of 

[53] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

men  killed  on  my  acount.  After  all,  they  are  my 
people,  as  they  have  been  the  people  of  my  ances- 
tors for  hundreds  of  years !  I  have  conceived  it 
to  be  my  duty  to  protect  them  and  their  happiness 
and  welfare. ' ' 

' '  Well  spoken, ' '  said  Kent.  * '  Very  nice  theory, 
too ;  but  it  lacks  this  much :  that  quite  frequently 
it  is  necessary  to  compel  people  to  do  the  right 
things  for  their  own  happiness.  For  this  reason 
we  sometimes  spank  boys  when  they  run  away 
from  schools ;  paddle  them  when  they  yield  to  the 
delights  of  chewing  tobacco ;  admonish  our  daugh- 
ters when  they  go  to  places  of  gaiety  that  they 
should  not  enter ;  whip  our  dogs  when  they  begin 
to  delight  in  snapping  at  strangers'  heels;  and  a 
thousand  and  one  other  things  that  make  the  ad- 
monished howl  or  yelp  at  the  time,  but  work  out 
for  their  own  good." 

He  stared  in  a  kindly  way  at  the  king  for  a 
moment,  as  if  expecting  the  latter  to  dispute,  and 
then  added,  grimly,  "If  I  were  in  your  place,  I'd 
not  let  this  man  Provarsk  win  so  easily.  I'd 
fight!" 

1 1 1  would,  if  I  knew  how ! ' '  The  king  spoke  im- 
petuously. 

"But  you  must  have  some  friend  who  can  assist 
you,"  suggested  Kent.  "Some  man  you  can  de- 
pend upon." 

The  king  shook  his  head  sadly. 
[54] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MR.  KENT 

" There  are  many  who  like  me,"  he  said;  "but 
they  fear  Provarsk." 

"Pooh!"  Kent  accompanied  himself  with  a 
snap  of  his  fingers. 

"If  His  Majesty  would  run  the  risk  of  a 
war "  began  the  chancellor. 

"Rubbish!"  exclaimed  Kent.  "War,  nothing! 
The  thing  to  do  is  to  beat  him  at  his  own  game. 
See  here,  young  man, — I  beg  Your  Majesty's  par- 
don— you've  got  to  do  it!  You've  got  to  be  one  of 
two  things,  a  king  or  a  coward.  You've  got  to 
decide  to-night,  too,  before  the  people  of  Marken 
know  that  you  have  been  driven  out  by  Provarsk. 
Don't  you  understand  that  from  to-night  you  are 
either  just  beginning  or  just  finished?" 

"If  I  could  see  any  way  on  earth  without  civil 
war,"  declared  the  king,  desperately,  "I'd  try  it." 

Kent  studied  him  closely,  with  steady  eyes,  and 
then  turned  to  his  desk  and  consulted  a  memo- 
randum book. 

"I'm  going  to  be  perfectly  frank  with  you," 
he  said,  at  last.  "It  doesn't  matter  much  to  me 
who  is  the  ruler  of  Marken ;  but  I  like  you  for  the 
ideals  you  have  had,  and  admire  your  sister  for 
wishing  to  stay  to  the  ultimate  end.  And  most 
of  all,  I've  got  considerable  at  stake  in  this  myself, 
because  John  Rhodes  hasn't  much  use  for  a  man 
who  causes  him  to  lose  a  million  pounds,  and 
what's  more,  he's  a  good  fighter.  He  does  pretty 

[55] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

much  as  I  suggest.  Besides,  this  strikes  me  as  an 
interesting  proposition,  and  at  present  I  haven't 
much  to  do.  Provarsk  is  promising.  I  admire 
him,  too.  It  requires  courage  to  do  what  he  has 
done." 

He  suddenly  threw  the  book  back  into  the  drawer 
and  shoved  the  latter  shut  with  an  emphatic  bang. 
He  arose  from  his  chair,  frowned  thoughtfully  at 
the  lampshade,  then  looked  across  it  at  the  king, 
who  was  watching  him,  as  if  fascinated  by  his 
heavy,  square-cut  American  face.  He  seemed  to 
have  arrived  at  an  audacious  resolution, 

"111  make  a  bargain  with  you,"  he  said,  chop- 
ping his  sentences.  "You  assist  me  and  I'll  assist 
you — under — let  us  say — very  peculiar  conditions. 
If  you  will  agree  to  do  exactly  as  I  say,  I'll  either 
make  a  real  king  of  you,  or  give  you  a  chance  to 
die  like  a  man  instead  of  a  runaway.  And  if  we 
fail,  we  '11  fail  together.  But  I  shall  at  least  make 
an  effort  to  save  John  Rhodes'  money,  and  you 
your  throne!  Be  certain  of  that!" 

The  king  looked  at  him  hopefully,  and  the  chan- 
cellor with  grudging  respect. 

"I  can't  see  what  else  I  can  do  but  listen,"  said 
the  king.  "I  am — as  you  see.  What  do  you  pro- 
pose?" 

"This,"  said  Kent,  deliberately;  "that  you  are 
to  go  back  to  your  country  and  fight  it  out;  but 
that  you  are  to  fight  it  out  just  as  I  direct;  that 
[56] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

from  now  onward,  until  I  have  recovered  the 
money  John  Rhodes  lent  you,  which  would  nat- 
urally mean  the  clearing  of  Marken's  finances  and 
a  restoration  of  peace  and  industry,  I  am  to  be 
the  absolute,  untrammelled  dictator  of  your  king- 
dom. Not  only  that,  but  that  you  and  this  chan- 
cellor, or  any  other  that  I  name,  are  to  do  exactly 
as  I  order.  I'm  to  be  temporarily  the  tyrant,  the 
ruler.  Also  that  not  a  soul  on  earth  besides  our- 
selves is  to  know  that  I  am  such.  I  can  be  any- 
thing we  wish,  a  visitor  at  court,  or  anything  that 
doesn't  matter,  so  long  as  you  and  the  baron  here 
obey  me  implicitly,  no  matter  how  difficult  my 
demand. ' ' 

The  king  gasped  and  stared  at  him  as  if  fas- 
cinated, while  the  chancellor  went  red  and  white 
by  turns.  Both  were  speechless  at  the  boldness  of 
his  proposition. 

"Come,"  he  said,  in  a  friendly  tone,  "you've 
everything  to  gain  and  nothing  to  lose.  You've 
lost  all  you  had,  both  of  you.  And  I  believe,  if 
you  agree  to  give  me  a  free  hand,  that  we  can  suc- 
ceed. Administration  is,  after  all,  largely  a  mat- 
ter of  finance.  Furthermore,  if  you  do  not  agree 
to  this,  I  am  compelled  to  take  steps  immediately 
to  ally  myself  with  Provarsk,  the  insurgent,  for 
the  protection  of  that  loan  which  I  caused  to  be 
made,  and  which  I  represent.  Hence,  after  to- 
night, I  shall  be  either  your  friend  or  your 

[57] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

enemy!  No  half-way  measures  with  me.  I  must 
be  one  or  the  other,  squarely,  uncompromisingly. 
You  must  decide." 

The  king  settled  back  into  his  chair,  and  ap- 
peared to  hesitate  and  consider,  while  the  chan- 
cellor fixed  his  stare  on.  the  floor,  greatly  per- 
turbed, and  quite  helpless.  The  old  clock  in  the 
corner  ticked  heavily,  and  the  rain  lashed  the 
windows  audibly,  as  if  waiting  outside  the  room 
were  enemies,  defiant  and  challenging  onslaught. 
The  American  slowly  opened  his  strong  box  a  sec- 
ond time,  selected  some  papers  with  due  care,  and 
held  them  toward  the  king. 

"That  there  may  be  no  doubt  in  your  mind 
that  I  am  the  original  man  who  made  the  loan  to 
your  government,  and  that  I  am  empowered  by 
John  Rhodes  to  act  as  I  deem  best,  you  will  please 
read  these.  They  will  serve  as  credentials." 

He  handed  the  papers  to  the  king,  who  read 
them  and  handed  them  back ;  but  with  an  increased 
look  of  respect  in  his  eyes.  His  gaze  shifted  back 
to  the  chancellor,  then,  almost  absently,  so  evident 
was  his  concentration,  to  the  fire  dogs.  Plainly 
he  was  hesitating,  yet  devoid  of  funds  or  other 
plans,  an  exile,  tempted  to  plunge. 

"If  you  were  out  of  money,  why  didn't  you  sell 
those  manganese  mines  you  own,  or  a  concession 
on  them  for  a  number  of  years  ? ' '  Kent  asked  the 
king  as  if  by  afterthought. 
[58] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

"  Because  I  could  conceive  of  no  one  being  fool 
enough  to  offer  me  such  a  sum  for  a  concession," 
replied  the  king.  * '  It  would  require  more  capital 
or  labour  than  I  can  produce  to  make  them  pay. ' ' 

Kent  stared  speculatively  at  him,  and  took  a 
turn  through  the  room. 

"I'm  not  certain  that  I  wouldn't  be  foolish 
enough  to  try  it,"  he  said  thoughtfully.  "I've 
been  well  informed  that  they  are  valuable.  Why 
not  grant  me  a  twenty-year  concession,  out  of 
which  I  give  you  ten  per  cent  of  the  profit;  but 
with  this  clear  agreement :  that  I  am  to  have  full 
power  to  handle  you  and  your  kingdom  to  make 
them  pay?  It's  the  only  way  I  can  find  to  save 
Ehodes'  money  for  him." 

The  king  looked  tempted,  yet  cautiously  con- 
siderate; but  did  not  answer  in  haste. 

Kent  paced  the  room  thoughtfully,  and  at  last, 
with  a  kindly  air,  walked  across  and  laid  his  hand 
on  the  king's  shoulder. 

"You  are  not  a  king  to  me,"  he  said,  quietly. 
"You  are  just  a  fine,  brave  young  fellow,  with 
high  ideals,  who  deserves  a  chance.  I  hate  to  see 
as  decent  a  young  chap  as  you  are  fail,  irretriev- 
ably, for  the  want  of  some  one  to  back  him,  and 
to  show  him  the  way  through.  We  don't  have 
kings  in  my  country;  but  we  have  the  young  fel- 
lows. And  I  have  helped  a  lot  of  them,  when 
about  all  they  needed  was  some  one  to  pat  them  on 

[59] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MR.  KENT 

the  back  and  say,  'It's  all  right,  Boy.  You're  not 
licked  yet!  Get  up  and  try  again!'  And  most 
always,  they  take  heart  and  go  in  and  win !  That's 
what  I  want  you  to  do.  Go  in  and  win!  Your 
duty  is  to  be  a  king !  And  I  now  tell  you,  go  and 
be  one!  If  you'll  do  as  I  say,  Provarsk  is  much 
abler  than  I  think  he  is,  if  we  don't  best  him,  hand 
and  foot.  In  any  event,  he  shall  have  a  struggle 
that  will  make  him  about  the  busiest  usurper  that 
ever  tried  for  a  throne!" 

The  king,  trained  to  repress  display  of  emo- 
tions since  childhood,  and  passed  through  the 
course  which  makes  of  princes  wooden-faced  im- 
ages, forgot  all  that  education  as  the  American 
progressed,  and  became  merely  a  desperate  hurt 
human  being,  craving  friendship  and  support. 
His  lips  twitched  and  strained  under  this  unex- 
pected tender  of  sympathy.  They  might  have 
remained  unmoved  had  he  walked  upon  the  scaf- 
fold of  a  guillotine,  but  here  was  a  new  emotion, 
that  rendered  him  defenceless.  With  something 
akin  to  boyish  amazement,  he  stared  at  the  grim, 
satirical,  strong  face  above  him  as  if  to  make  cer- 
tain of  the  character  that  offered  open  support 
in  return  for  secret  domination,  and  what  he  saw 
there  gave  him  confidence.  For  a  long  time  he 
weighed  the  situation  with  all  its  alternatives,  ask- 
ing now  and  then  cautious  questions  and  receiv- 
ing reassuring  answers.  At  last,  quite  like  one 
[60] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

taking  a  final  and  desperate  chance,  he  made  his 
decision.  He  stood  to  his  feet,  as  befitted  the 
gravity  of  the  situation,  and  said,  very  simply, 
"I  accept.  The  concession  is  yours,  and  I  put  my- 
self completely  in  your  hands  because  I  trust  you 
and  because  I  have  no  other  recourse.  Our  agree- 
ment is  one  of  honour,  to  last  until  you  have 
secured  your  superior's  money,  or  by  your  own 
word  release  me  from  further  obligation." 

"That  is  fair;  very  fair,"  Kent  replied,  with 
equal  gravity.  "And  you  may  trust  me  to  make 
my  stay  as  brief  as  possible,  because  I've  no  wish 
for  the  job. ' '  He  paused  a  minute  and  added  with 
one  of  his  rare,  half -humorous  smiles,  "You  see, 
the  fact  is,  I  never  have  run  a  kingdom  before. 
Once  when  I  was  young,  I  ran  a  sawmill,  and  after 
all,  running  kingdoms  and  sawmills  are  not  much 
different.  Both  consist  in  seeing  that  the  work  is 
well  done." 

The  king  extended  his  hand  to  the  financial 
agent,  who  took  it,  and  for  an  instant  held  it,  and 
studied  the  king's  face  as  if  to  make  a  last  ap- 
praisment  of  this  material  with  which  he  must 
work. 

"And  I  take  it  that  the  chancellor — " 

"For  more  than  twenty  years,  as  boy  and  man," 
Von  Glutz  rumbled,  "I  have  served  the  house  of 
His  Majesty.  And  behind  me  are  four  genera- 
tions of  my  name  who  have  also  given  all  they  had 

[61] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

to  give.    I  ask  nothing  but  to  serve.    The  king's 
wish  is  to  me  an  order." 

"Phwew!  That's  going  some!  Takes  me  back  to 
a  gallery  seat  at  the  melodrama,"  Kent  said  in 
English,  much  to  the  chancellor's  bewilderment. 
But  with  the  chancellor,  too,  the  American  shook 
hands  as  if  this  were  to  seal  a  binding  contract, 
and  then,  almost  abruptly,  he  swung  round  to  his 
desk,  seated  himself,  and  was  the  man  in  com- 
mand. His  head  appeared  to  set  more  doggedly, 
his  voice  to  become  more  crisp  and  authoritative. 

"I'll  take  your  word  for  the  concession  until 
we  can  draw  it  up.  Now  who  is  this  friend  of 
whom  you  spoke?"  he  asked  the  king. 

"Baron  Von  Hertz,  distantly  related,  who 
dwells  most  of  the  time  in  a  mediaeval  castle  he  has 
rehabilitated.  It  is  less  than  ten  miles  from  Mar- 
ken." 

"And  you  can  depend  on  him?" 

"Implicitly.  On  him  and  all  his  followers  and 
tenants. ' ' 

"And  how  far  is  his  castle  from  here?" 

"About  thirty  miles,  I  should  think." 

"All  right.  We  shall  have  to  use  the  car  the 
princess  arrived  in.  We  three  will  start  at  once." 

"And  leave  my  sister  here  alone — unde- 
fended?" 

Kent  stepped  to  the  door,  and  turned  back  to 
answer  over  his  shoulder. 
[62] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

"No,  I  shall  leave  my  man  Ivan  to  guard  her. 
She  will  be  as  safe  as  if  we  three  were  here." 

He  was  gone  from  the  room  but  a  few  minutes 
and  when  he  returned  was  clad  in  a  heavy  rain- 
coat, and  carried  in  his  hand  a  light  sporting  rifle. 
He  was  very  brusque  and  determined  in  the 
directness  with  which  he  crossed  the  room,  pos- 
sessed himself  of  a  magazine  pistol,  examined  the 
clip  to  make  certain  that  it  was  filled,  and  gave 
an  order  that  was  entirely  devoid  of  deference. 
*  *  You  will  now  call  in  Captain  Paulo  and  instruct 
him,"  he  said.  "Also  there  must  be  no  forget- 
fulness  of  our  relative  positions.  You  are  now 
and  hereafter  to  be  my  mouthpiece.  You  are  still 
the  king.  You  will  give  such  orders  as  I  give  you 
as  your  own,  obey  my  instructions,  and  see  that 
they  are  carried  out  as  if  they  were  your  own. 
You  understand  thoroughly?" 

Both  the  king  and  chancellor  bowed,  the  latter 
with  a  quick  military  salute  of  acquiescence. 

"Summon  Captain  Paulo,"  said  the  king,  ac- 
cepting his  new  role ;  and  when,  in  answer  to  the 
stentorian  hail  of  the  chancellor  through  the  lat- 
tice, the  officer  appeared,  the  king  commanded, 
evenly,  as  if  nothing  unusual  could  be  found  in 
the  situation,  "Captain  Paulo,  bring  the  car 
around  to  the  door,  headed  in  the  opposite  direc- 
tion. We  return  to  our  kingdom." 

The  officer's  youthful  face  flashed  to  exultation, 

[63] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

Almost  lie  voiced  it;  but  recovered  and  saluted, 
while  his  eyes  danced  with  satisfaction.    He  would 
have  turned  to  obey,  but  the  king  restrained  him. 
* '  Just  a  moment,  Paulo, ' '  he  said.    ' '  Mr.  Kent 
accompanies  us,  and  will  remain  with  us  for  some 
time.    It  is  my  wish  that  you  obey  anything  he 
asks  as  you  would  me.    Do  you  know  the  road 
from  here  to  the  Castle  Hertz?" 
"Quite  well,  Sire." 

"Then  it  is  there  that  you  are  to  take  us." 
Kent  gave  his  first  direct  order  to  the  officer  a 
few  minutes  later  as  the  three  men  climbed  into 
the  car. 

"Drive!"  lie  said    "Drive  like  the  devil!" 
And  the  car,  with  big  headlights  ablaze,  roared 
its  way  down  the  village  street,  skidded  as  it  made 
a  sharp  turn,  and  then  leaped  out  on  a  long 
straight  road  like  a  racer  reaching  for  a  goal. 


[64] 


CHAPTER  FOUR 

FOR  what  seemed  to  Kent  a  long  and  perilous 
time,  the  car  jolted  and  slipped,  and  ran  at 
a  fearsome  speed  over  long  level  stretches, 
up  hills,  over  mountain  roads,  and  at  last  rushed 
noisily  up  a  harsh  incline  and  across  what  he  sur- 
mised had  once  been  a  moat  bridge,  to  come  to  a 
halt  in  a  courtyard,  where  it  stood  and  steamed 
like  a  spent  racer  finishing  a  course. 

' 'Well!   What's  wanted?" 

A  night  watchman,  flashing  an  electric  torch, 
challenged  them,  and  they  climbed  out  to  observe 
that  the  storm  was  abating,  that  off  on  one  hori- 
zon stars  were  shining  through  a  cloud  opening, 
and  that  they  stood  in  front  of  a  huge  and  gloomy 
old  pile  that  Kent  knew  must  be  the  Castle  Hertz. 

"The  baron  is  within1?"  asked  the  chancellor. 

"Without  a  doubt.  And  asleep  as  such  an  hon- 
est man  should  be,"  was  the  watchman's  surly 
response. 

"He  must  be  aroused,"  grunted  the  chancellor. 

"Not  by  me!"  exclaimed  the  watchman.  "I'm 
an  old  man  with  a  family  dependent  on  me.  Can't 
you  gentlemen  wait  until  morning?" 

[65] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

"You  go  and  tell  your  master  that "  Von 

Glutz  began  in  a  hoarse  bluster,  but  was  quietly 
elbowed  aside  by  the  American,  who  continued  the 
sentence  as  if  it  were  his  own. 

"That  three  gentlemen  have  called  here  in  the 
most  urgent  haste  and  can  not  be  delayed.  Also 
that  we  are  on  the  king's  business.  Here !  This 
may  help!" 

He  slipped  a  gold  coin  into  the  watchman's 
hand,  which  the  latter  took,  inspected  under  the 
light  of  the  torch,  bit  to  make  certain  that  he  was 
not  dreaming,  and  acknowledged  by  doffing  his 
cap  and  bowing  very  deeply. 

"It  must  be  on  the  king's  business,"  he  de- 
clared. "No  one  else  could  possibly  have  that 
much  money  in  these  times,  Sir.  I'll  take  a 
chance." 

"Wonderful  what  one  can  accomplish  by  di- 
plomacy," Kent  remarked,  dryly,  as  the  watch- 
man ambled  around  to  a  side  entrance  and  dis- 
appeared. A  long  wait  ensued  which  indicated 
cither  that  the  Baron  Von  Hertz  might  have  been 
hard  to  awaken,  or  had  calmly  murdered  his 
watchman  and  returned  to  his  repose.  And  then 
when  Kent  was  beginning  to  be  annoyed,  a  huge 
door  in  front  of  them  opened,  a  light  glowed 
within,  and  they  were  invited  to  enter. 

"I  trust,"  observed  the  watchman,  meaningly, 
as  he  conducted  them  toward  a  waiting  room, 
[66] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

"that  you  gentlemen  are  really  on  the  king's  busi- 
ness. Otherwise  I  fear  that  My  Lord  the  baron 
will  prove — ahem!  a  trifle  unpleasant.  At  first 
he  swore  that  he  wouldn't  get  up  for  the  king 
himself.  It  was  not  until  I  suggested  you  might 
be  robbers,  and  there  was  a  prospect  of  a  good 
fight,  that  he  consented  to  arise.  He  is  now  load- 
ing his  shotgun.  Pray  be  seated.*' 

"Must  be  a  pleasant  old  chap !"  said  Kent,  with 
a  soft  chuckle. 

But  the  king,  failing  to  see  any  humour  in  the 
situation,  threw  himself  wearily  into  a  chair 
without  removing  his  hat  or  coat,  and  stretched 
his  legs  in  front  of  him  and  stared  at  his  boots. 
The  watchman  took  his  post  outside  the  doorway, 
and  then,  by  afterthought,  switched  on  the  lights 
in  the  corridors,  and  brought  the  waiting  room  to 
full  blaze.  Kent,  as  idly  as  any  tourist,  person- 
ally conducted,  and  endowed  with  a  connoisseur's 
knowledge,  stared  around  at  the  fine  old  wain- 
scoting and  polished  floors.  He  acted  as  if  calling 
out  a  baron  of  the  realm  of  Marken  at  three  o'clock 
in  the  morning  were  an  every-night  occurrence 
with  him.  He  was  disturbed  by  a  sharp  ' '  Ahem  1 ' ' 
in  the  doorway  and  looked  around  to  discover  a 
tall,  gaunt,  white-whiskered  old  gentleman  whose 
bald  head  was  protected  by  a  flaming  red  night 
cap,  and  who  carried  a  heavy  fowling  piece  in  a 
manner  that  suggested  that  he  might  be  per- 

[67] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MR.  KENT 

fectly  willing  to  use  it  on  slight  provocation.  The 
three  men  stood  to  their  feet  and  for  a  moment 
he  glared  at  them,  then  entering  the  room,  hastily 
deposited  the  shotgun  in  a  corner,  turned  his 
head  and  bawled  to  the  watchman,  "It's  all  right! 
Go  on  outside  and  watch  the  weather.  I'm  ex- 
pecting a  hailstorm. " 

After  that  he  came  quickly  forward  and  offered 
both  hands  to  his  sovereign. 

* '  Well,  Karl,  what  is  up  now  ?  What  brings  you 
here  at  this  time  of  night?  Some  one  been  lift- 
ing the  lid  to  let  the  sulphur  out?" 

"Provarsk,"  replied  the  king,  sententiously. 

The  old  man  smiled  a  wry  smile,  nodded  to  Von 
Glutz,  and  favoured  Kent  with  a  harsh  stare 
from  under  his  scowling  eyebrows. 

"It's  all  right!"  said  the  king.  "We  can  talk 
freely.  This  is  an  American  gentleman,  Mr.  Kent, 
who  is  the  agent  for  John  Rhodes,  the  financial 
magnate." 

"Oh!  Can't  he  collect  interest  in  daylight?" 
demanded  the  irascible  old  man.  '  *  Since  when  did 
you  begin  to  make  night  journeys  with  money 
lenders?" 

Kent  stood  unmoved ;  but  the  king  rushed  to  his 
defence. 

"Baron,"  he  asserted,  steadily,  "Mr.  Kent  has 
proved  to  be  my  friend.    As  such  I  am  certain  you 
will  regard  him." 
[68] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

" Pardon  me,"  the  American  interjected,  "I  do 
not  seek  the  baron's  friendship." 

Before  the  amazed  old  nobleman  could  recover, 
Kent  walked  directly  across  the  intervening  space 
until  he  confronted  him. 

"Whether  you  like  me  or  not,  whether  you  ob- 
ject to  me  or  not,  My  Lord  Baron,  is  to  me  of  the 
very  slightest  importance.  There  is  but  one  at- 
titude I  expect  from  you,  that  which  is  current 
between  gentlemen,  and  consists  of  courtesy. 
That  I  demand!" 

There  was  an  intense  stillness  in  the  room  as 
they  eyed  each  other,  Kent  inflexible,  the  king  dis- 
tressed, and  the  chancellor  open-mouthed  at  such 
uncompromising  words.  The  old  baron  was  the 
most  affected  and  stood  as  if  stupefied  with  aston- 
ishment. Fora  pregnant  time  he  met  Kent 's  stare 
and  then  suddenly  chuckled  in  his  throat  with  a 
queer,  wise  acceptance.  He  turned  to  the  king 
and  exploded,  much  as  an  explorer  might  have 
done  on  announcing  a  discovery.  "Why,  Karl! 
You  Ve  got  a  friend  who  is  a  man !  By  Saint  Dom- 
inique! This  is  a  man!" 

The  chancellor  twisted  and  frowned.  The  caus- 
tic inference  was  not  lost  upon  him;  but  he  had 
no  opportunity  for  speech,  for  the  baron  advanced 
to  the  American,  put  out  his  hand  and  exclaimed, 
"My  kinsman  needs  a  few  like  you.  It  should 
straighten  affairs  out,  unless  I  mistake." 

[69] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MR.  KENT 

For  a  time  they  stood  and  eyed  each  other,  the 
one  stalwart  in  developed  strength,  the  other 
elderly,  weak,  and  wise. 

"I  have  placed  myself  at  the  king's  disposal," 
Kent  said,  mollified.  "And  that  is  one  of  the 
reasons  why  we  are  here.  We  now  seem  to  under- 
stand one  another.  His  Majesty  himself  will  tell 
you  what  has  happened  in  Marken.  He  seeks  a 
friend.  He  has  come  to  you." 

He  turned  to  the  king,  as  did  the  baron,  and 
they  seated  themselves  around  a  tete-a-tete  table 
that  stood  conveniently  in  a  corner  of  the  room, 
where,  without  evasion,  the  king  told  the  baron  all 
that  had  taken  place,  observing  his  promise  to 
Kent  that  nothing  should  be  said  of  their  private 
agreement. 

"I  have  undertaken,"  explained  the  American, 
"to  assist  His  Majesty  in  the  difficulty,  by  advice, 
and,  furthermore,  I  am  in  a  position  to  command 
for  him  and  if  need  arises  will  enlist  substantial 
financial  support  in  our  enterprise." 

His  three  auditors  alike  exposed  their  surprise 
and  gratification. 

' '  I  mean  it, ' '  he  declared.  '  *  Mean  that  I  am  go- 
ing to  save,  if  possible,  the  Rhodes  loan,  though 
doubtless  it  may  require  additional  resources.  If 
they  are  needed  they  will  be  forthcoming.  The 
financial  side  does  not  in  the  least  disturb  us, 
therefore,  and  we  have  come  to  you  because  the 
[70] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

king  understands  that  we  must  have  support  and 
possibly  refuge.  That  is  all  he  asks  of  you.  I 
shall  attempt  to  clear  Provarsk  out  without  blood- 
shed. After  that  I  shall  endeavour  to  advise  the 
king  how  to  rehabilitate  himself  as  the  real  ruler 
of  Marken." 

"But  what  do  you  propose  to  do!"  demanded 
the  old  baron.  "What  is  the  first  move?  It  looks 
rather  difficult  to  me.  Provarsk  has  brains.  He 
is  fearless;  fearless  in  the  adventurer  way.  If 
you  think  you  have  an  infant  to  fight  you  are 
wrong.  You  might  lose." 

'  *  I  never  play  to  lose,  * '  retorted  Kent.  * '  I  make 
no  such  calculation." 

"Karl,"  said  the  baron,  after  a  thoughtful 
study  of  the  American,  "all  the  support  I  have 
to  give  is  yours." 

"That  being  so,"  hastily  suggested  Kent,  "the 
next  move  is  to  send  Captain  Paulo  back  to  bring 
the  princess,  her  maid,  and  my  man  Ivan  here 
as  quickly  as  possible.  It  must  not  become  known 
to  the  public  that  the  king  has  ever  been  driven 
from  the  kingdom.  For  the  present,  it  will  do, 
if  his  absence  is  noted,  that  he  and  his  sister  have 
been  here  as  your  guests,  voluntarily." 

The  baron  assented  with  an  enthusiasm  that 
had  in  it  a  suggestion  of  mischievousness. 

"That  will  do  nicely,"  he  said.  "And  it  will 
bo  easy  as  far  as  my  part  is  concerned,  because  I 

[71] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

have  the  finest  body  of  liars  around  me  that  the 
world  has  ever  known  since  Ananias  gained  re- 
pute. Send  for  Eloise." 

After  Paulo  had  been  summoned  and  sent  on 
his  journey,  they  fell  to  discussing  the  plan  which 
the  American  slowly  outlined,  and  were  still  en- 
larging upon  it  when  the  young  officer  returned 
with  his  passengers.  Kent,  as  though  curious  to 
interpret  the  princess '  attitude,  was  a  silent  spec- 
tator in  the  background  when  she  arrived,  and 
smiled  his  approbation  when  he  saw  her  hasten  to 
the  king  and  study  his  face,  unabashed  by  the  pres- 
ence of  the  others,  and  meet  his  eyes  with  an  en- 
couraging stare. 

'  *  I  am  glad ! ' '  she  declared.  i  l  Very  glad !  You 
are  going  to  fight  it  out,  and  drive  Provarsk,  that 
unspeakable  traitor,  from  Marken!" 

"With  Mr.  Kent's  help  I  shall  try,"  he  said, 
and,  disappointed  and  perplexed,  she  slowly 
dropped  her  hands,  and  her  eyes  sought  the 
American,  for  whom  she  had  already  pronounced 
aversion  and  distrust. 

"You  are  accepting  his  support,  rather 
than " 

Kent,  alert  and  diplomatic,  stepped  forward  to 
prevent  the  completion  of  her  sentence. 

"Your  Royal  Highness  will  permit  me,"  he  said 
suavely,  ' '  to  say  that  I  am  trying  as  best  I  can  to 
support  your  brother.  I  may  be  of  service  or 
[72] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

not ;  but  what  I  have  to  offer,  I  give.  And  at  least 
we  are  here,  together,  ready  for  an  effort. ' ' 

"And  what  is  more,  Eloise,"  sharply  exclaimed 
Baron  Von  Hertz,  "this  is  no  time  for  any 
woman  folly  of  tongue.  You'd  better  be  thankful 
that  Karl  has  got  some  one  back  of  him  that,  if 
I'm  not  badly  mistaken,  is  going  to  do  things. 
Hoity-toity!  Don't  start  in  to  make  faces  at 
me!  I'm  old  enough  to  know  a  man  when  I  see 
one.  You  had  better  go  upstairs  to  bed.  So  had 
all  of  us.  Come  on.  No  foolishness.  I'll  show 
you  the  way.  This  man — what  is  that  his  name  is 
— Kent,  has  plenty  to  do  in  the  morning,  and  I  will 
not  let  him  be  bothered  by  anybody.  You  just 
stop  any  desire  to  interfere  and  leave  him  alone. 
I'll  have  my  way  here.  This  is  my  place." 

Eebelliously  she  obeyed,  and  Kent  watched  her 
as  she  followed  the  crabbed  old  man  up  the  grand 
staircase,  while  the  latter 's  voice  came  back 
through  the  deserted  halls,  querulous,  and  admon- 
itory, until  it  died  away.  A  half  hour  later  he, 
too,  stood  alone  in  a  vast  room  surveying  the  bed 
in  which  he  was  to  sleep,  and  as  he  pulled  off  his 
shoes  and  threw  them  outside  the  door  for  much 
needed  attention,  he  grinned  as  if  secretly  pleased 
with  his  adventure.  His  lights  were  out  within  fif- 
teen minutes,  but  the  watchman,  wondering,  noted 
that  farther  along  in  a  room  assigned  to  the  young 
man  to  whom  so  much  deference  was  shown,  that 

[73] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB,  KENT" 

occupied  by  His  Majesty,  Karl  II,  the  lights  did 
not  go  out  and  a  harassed  guest  continued  to 
pace,  with  monotonous  insistence,  backward  and 
forward  in  front  of  the  windows  on  which  hit 
shadow  was  thrown. 


[74] 


CHAPTER  FIVE 

IN  the  city  of  Marken,  the  capital  of  Marken, 
early  rising  might  have  been  a  crime.  Here 
was  no  sordid  place  so  highly  fascinated  by 
industry  that  lights  began  to  glow  in  workmen's 
homes  before  the  sun  arose.  Not  thus  in  Marken ! 
The  only  ones  who  opened  windows  in  Marken 
at  dawn  were  those  who,  usually  with  night-caps 
on  their  heads,  poked  the  said  night-capped  heads 
out  to  look  at  the  weather,  then  with  all  observa- 
tions necessary  for  prognostication,  shut  the  win- 
dows again  and  retired  to  " think  it  over"  for  an 
hour  or  two.  True,  if  the  day  happened  to  be  fair 
and  somnolent,  the  sun,  shining  in  their  eyes 
through  some  quaint  old  lattice,  or  climbing  almost 
boisterously  like  a  second-story  burglar  into  the 
depths  of  some  high-hung  balcony,  caused  them 
to  arise  grumbling.  People  in  Marken  always 
did  the  same  things — came  deliberately  to  the 
front  doors  and  opened  them,  walked  out  into  the 
narrow,  cobbled  streets,  took  another  look  at  the 
weather,  yawned,  thrust  their  fingers  through  their 
hair,  grunted  ''good  morning"  to  their  neigh- 
bours, and  then  sought  the  kitchen  sink  to  wash 

[75] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

their  faces.  Then,  by  about  nine  o'clock,  there 
might  be  a  haze  over  Marken — a  most  savoury 
haze  of  ethereal,  palpitating  blue,  the  blue  of  a 
fair  dream  perfumed;  but  the  perfumed  haze  in 
Marken  was  due  to  the  unanimous  habit  of  fry- 
ing sausages.  The  dogs,  of  which  population  there 
was  nearly  as  great  a  number  as  of  other  people, 
aroused  themselves  from  the  doorways,  stretched, 
exchanged  neighbourly  canine  salutations  by  the 
customary  methods  of  identification,  and  then, 
with  noses  properly  dilated,  headed  for  those 
places  where  according  to  their  fixed  belief,  the 
sausages  grew  and  might  be  obtained.  Later  the 
children,  swarms  of  them,  appeared  in  the  nar- 
row cobbled  streets,  accompanied  by  the  dogs,  all 
of  them  adorned  by  sausage  grease  on  their  chops 
and  an  air  of  contentment.  Then,  still  leisurely, 
the  shop  shutters  began  to  come  down  with  creaks, 
and  bangs,  and  bumps,  and  portly  shopkeepers  in 
their  shirt  sleeves  stood  in  the  shade  of  their  door- 
ways, leaning  more  or  less  heavily  on  the  door- 
jambs,  and  smoked,  and  read  their  papers,  prior 
to  a  general  assemblage  in  the  streets  to  discuss 
the  latest  news.  Periodically  they  all  arose  early, 
it  being  the  most  exciting  day  of  each  week,  mar- 
ket day.  This  was  due,  perhaps,  to  the  fact  that 
the  farmers  of  the  immediate  country  were  a  quite 
incomprehensible  sort  of  folk,  who  were  foolish 
enough  to  brave  miasmatic  vapours  from  the  soil 
[76] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

and  all  sorts  of  unpleasant  things,  and  get  np 
early.  Not  that  this  would  have  made  much  dif- 
ference to  the  good  folk  of  Marken ;  but  that  these 
same  foolish  farmers  invaded  the  city  with  a 
clatter  of  sabots,  a  bleating  of  kids,  the  braying  of 
donkeys,  and  much  voluble  chatter,  so  that  it  was 
quite  impossible  for  any  one  to  sleep. 

The  storm  of  the  night  had  completely  disap- 
peared with  the  dawn  and  a  lazy  spring  sun  busied 
itself  in  drying  the  mud  on  this  particular  market 
day,  when  some  of  the  more  observant  arrivals 
noted  with  curiosity  that  for  the  first  time  since 
Karl  II  had  become  a  king,  with  vast  and  delight- 
ful ceremony,  the  gates  of  his  palace  were  closed 
and  two  grim  and  foreign-appearing  sentries 
stood  guard  beside  the  main  entrance,  each  square- 
ly planted  in  his  sentry  box  as  if  he  had  grown 
there  over  night  like  a  fungus.  And  so  he  had,  in 
truth! 

The  palace  stood  on  the  flat  top  of  a  fair  hill 
and  was  surrounded  by  a  wall.  Every  good  pal- 
ace has  to  have  one,  and  all  others  do  not  count. 
Doubtless,  in  some  ancient  day,  there  had  been  a 
moat ;  but  this  had  been  filled  and  turfed.  "Where 
in  the  time  of  his  august  predecessors  had  been 
a  considerable  place  d'armes  for  the  drilling  of 
fighting  men,  Karl  II  had  created  a  garden  of 
distinguished  beauty  in  which,  it  was  scornfully 
whispered  by  the  malcontents,  he  occasionally 

[77] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

worked,  himself,  with  pruning  shears  and  spade. 
He  had  approached  sacrilege  by  modernizing 
the  palace  itself,  something  criminally  undigni- 
fied, inasmuch  as  no  good  palace  should  have 
either  drains  or  sanitary  contrivances.  It  makes 
them  too  much  like  other  folks'  houses,  and, 
somehow,  people  expect  kings  to  be  different  from 
everybody  else.  Furthermore,  as  a  final  proof 
that  he  was  not  fit  to  be  a  real  king,  he  tried  to 
pay  his  debts ! 

From  the  palace  windows  the  quaint  old  city  of 
Marken,  red  or  moss  roofed,  flowering  from  win- 
dow ledges,  its  streets  dotted  here  and  there  with 
colourfully-clad  inhabitants,  could  be  scanned  as 
it  stretched  away  on  three  Bides. 

From  the  smaller  throne  room,  by  stepping  to 
a  balcony,  on  this  morning,  a  great  deal  might 
have  been  seen;  but  nobody  in  the  throne  room 
took  the  trouble.  There  was  much  other  business 
to  be  done,  because  when  a  first-class  usurper 
usurps,  there  are  usually  several  things  that  re- 
quire attention.  At  least  that  was  the  opinion  of 
one  Baron  Provarsk,  who,  on  this  gay  morning, 
was,  as  Kent  might  have  said,  "on  the  job." 

The  usurper  sat  in  a  big  chair  at  the  head  of 
a  table,  the  like  of  which  could  be  seen  any  day, 
in  any  directors'  room  of  any  bank  in  America. 
Neatly  proportioned,  middle-sized,  carelessly  but 
well  clothed,  and  about  thirty-five  years  of  age, 
[78] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

he  appeared  competent.  His  was  rather  a  hand- 
some, fearless,  albeit  reckless  face,  fairly  strong, 
and  without  trace  of  any  excess.  He  was  more 
the  rapier  type  of  soldier  of  fortune,  than  usurp- 
ers usually  are,  and  would  probably  prefer  a  ra- 
pier to  a  butcher's  cleaver.  And  as  far  as  looks 
were  concerned,  Kent  afterward  said,  he  "had  it 
on  the  king." 

On  the  side  of  the  room  opposite  from  the  bal- 
conied, or  garden  side,  were  ornate  inner  windows 
looking  out  upon  a  corridor,  and,  proving  that 
the  baron  proposed  to  take  no  chances,  there 
could  be  seen  standing  in  this  generous  passage- 
way a  file  of  armed  men.  As  for  them,  the  for- 
eign legion  of  Africa  could  not  have  been  more 
mixed,  or  mongrel.  Apparently  the  baron  had 
been  interested  in  such  of  the  king's  papers  and 
letters  as  he  had  been  able  to  find  by  ransacking 
the  palace.  He  scanned  them  hastily,  grinning 
pleasantly  now  and  then.  A  good  usurper  dis- 
plays no  more  delicacy  in  nosing  into  another's 
palace,  than  does  a  cuckoo  intent  on  laying  an 
egg  in  another's  nest. 

Provarsk  shoved  the  papers  into  a  heap  and 
picked  up  several  other  sheets  in  his  own  hand- 
writing, just  as  a  scar-faced  man  with  a  scraggly 
moustache  and  stubby  goatee  swaggered  into  the 
room  and  stood  opposite  his  new  master. 

"I  don't  see  anything  to  prevent  my  procla- 

[79] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MR.  KENT 

xnation  being  sent  to  the  printing  office  jnst  as  it 
is,"  said  Provarsk,  looking  up  at  his  lieutenant, 
who  had  become  such  by  recruiting  from  various 
foreign  sources  and  drilling  Provarsk 's  army. 
"Here,  Ubaldo,  read  it.  Read  it  aloud  so  I  can. 
hear  how  it  sounds." 

The  new  commander-in-chief  of  the  army  took 
the  paper  and  after  mumbling  over  a  flowery  pre- 
amble which  "Viewed  with  horror  and  alarm, " 
read  the  following:  "It  having  come  to  my 
knowledge,  fortunately,  that  the  erstwhile  sov- 
ereign of  the  free  and  independent  Monarchy  of 
Marken,  King  Karl  II,  had  practically  completed 
secret  plans  to  borrow  in  the  name  of  the  state  a 
second  and  larger  loan  than  that  with  which  his 
suffering  subjects  were  already  grievously  bur- 
dened, I,  his  cousin  by  direct  descent  from  the 
royal  Dynasty,  Ferdinand  Matilda  George  Wil- 
helm  Ludwig  Humberto  Provarsk,  Baron  of  the 
realm,  did  expostulate  with  him  in  the  name  of  the 
people  of  Marken,  and  was  rebuffed,  and  threats 
made  against  my  person.  I  therefore  gathered 
for  my  own  protection  a  few  followers,  but  was 
astonished,  grieved,  and  humiliated  to  learn  that, 
presumably  some  time  within  the  past  few  days, 
King  Karl  II  had  taken  all  the  available  funds 
in  the  treasury,  all  the  royal  jewels,  and  with  his 
sister,  the  Royal  Princess  Eloise,  his  Chancellor, 
the  Baron  Von  Glutz  (who  apparently  is  a  fellow- 
[80] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MR.  KENT 

participant  and  partner  in  his  defalcation),  and 
the  renegade  Captain  Paulo,  fled  to  parts  unknown. 
The  abdication,  to  my  sincere  and  lasting  grief, 
is  made  certain  by  the  fact  that  the  former  king 
and  his  party  are  known  to  have  abandoned  the 
sacred  soil  of  our  beloved  fatherland  without  legal 
notice  and  have  been  seen  on  their  way  to  Paris. 

"It  has  therefore  become  incumbent  upon  me 
as  one  of  the  hereditary  royal  family,  and  as  a 
true  patriot,  ready  to  sacrifice  himself  for  the 
kingdom,  to  assume  at  least  temporarily  the  reins 
of  government  and  to  bring  chaos  from  the  muddle 
into  which  the  foolish  extravagances  and  corrup- 
tions of  the  late  king  and  his  chancellor  have 
plunged  it." 

This  much  Ubaldo  obediently  read  aloud,  after 
which  for  a  time  he  read  to  himself,  while  the 
baron  yawned  and  drummed  the  table  with  his 
fingers. 

"It's  all  right, "  said  Ubaldo,  tossing  it  back  on 
the  table;  "but  I  always  like  to  see  them  end  up 
some  way.  Most  of  those  I've  helped  get  up  be- 
fore have  something  about  how  the  people  are  to 
be  freed  from  taxation,  work,  and  all  that  stuff. 
Then  all  of  'em  have  one  of  two  things  at  the  tag 
end;  they  either  beseech  the  dear,  faithful  sub- 
jects and  patriots  to  rest  quietly  and  peacefully 
until  the  new  ruler,  always  aided  by  God  Al- 
mighty, gets  down  to  the  concrete  foundations  and 

[81] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

straightens  everything  out ;  or  else  they  warn  the 
damned  public  to  avoid  congregating  in  groups  on 
any  public  street,  showing  any  lights  at  night, 
making  any  undue  disturbances,  or  speaking  above 
a  whisper,  on  penalty  of  being  shot  dead,  in- 
stantly, all  their  goods  and  likely  womenfolk 
escheating  to  the  crown." 

1 1  Um-m-mh !  That 's  so,  * '  thoughtfully  observed 
the  baron. 

"And  I  should  advise  the  dear-people-keep- 
quiet  stuff  and  all  that,"  hastily  observed  Ubaldo, 
"  otherwise  we  might  have  a  scrap,  and  ther* 
might  not  be  enough  of  us.  Also  eighteen  or 
twenty  of  the  army  signed  on  as  soldiers  with 
the  understanding  that  they  wouldn't  have  to  do 
any  fighting,  and  there  aren't  more  than  three 
that  could  hit  a  barn  with  a  shotgun  at  ten  paces 
distance.  * ' 

Baron  Provarsk  grinned  amiably,  and  hurriedly 
wrote  another  page  or  two,  pausing  but  once  to 
look  up  when  part  of  the  new  army  flattened  its 
nose  against  the  panes  of  the  corridor  window. 

"Pull  those  curtains  across  that  window  so 
nobody  can  see  in,"  he  growled,  irritably.  "Also 
see  that  handkerchiefs  are  made  part  of  the  regu- 
lation uniform.  Some  of  your  men — er — rather 
disturb  my  cultured  side." 

The  new  commander-in-chief  dutifully  obeyed, 
then  disappeared  into  the  hall  and  swore,  pains- 
[82] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

takingly  but  fluently,  in  seven  different  tongues, 
while  Provarsk  completed  his  manifesto. 

"There,"  he  said,  as  if  highly  satisfied,  when 
his  lieutenant  returned.  "I've  added  in  the  gentle 
appeal  for  peace  and  order.  Also  I've  offered 
ten  thousand  pounds  for  old  Von  Glutz,  dead  or 
alive,  five  thousand  for  that  fellow  Paulo,  and 
stated  that  we  are  making  indefatigable  efforts 
to  recover  the  loot  from  the  royal  absconders  and 
have  hopes  of  getting  it." 

The  new  commander-in-chief  was  making  mental 
calculations. 

"About  that  fifteen  thousand  pounds "  he 

said,  abstractedly  staring  at  the  ceiling.  "I 
didn't  know  you  had  found  that  much  on  tap. 
Let  me  see !  Fifty  men,  and  me  getting  ten  shares 
makes  sixty,  and  sixty  goes  into  fifteen " 

"You  needn't  badger  your  empty  skull  about 
that!"  angrily  remarked  the  usurper.  "There 
isn't  any  fifteen  thousand  that  I  know  of." 

"But  supposing  somebody  does  catch  the  chan- 
cellor or  Paulo?" 

"Then  we'll  have  the  chancellor  and  Paulo 
killed  in  their  cells,  after  which  we'll  accuse  the 
fellows  that  claim  the  reward  of  murder  and  have 
them  hanged  publicly  as  proof  of  how  lawful  and 
orderly  we  are,"  cheerfully  replied  the  baron. 
"Besides,  either  old  Von  Glutz  or  Paulo  will  be 
hard  to  catch.  They'll  not  show  up  until  long  after 

[83] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

I've  got  so  firmly  fixed  in  the  saddle  that  no  one 
will  dare  try  to  upset  me.  I  think  I  shall  have 
this  posted  on  every  church  and — Well,  what  is 
it?"  he  demanded,  as  a  sentry  appeared  at  the 
door  waiting  for  a  word. 

"A  man  to  see  you,  sir,  who  insists  on  an  im- 
mediate and  private  audience.  Says  you  will  be 
glad  to  see  him  at  once.  Here  is  his  card,  sir." 

He  advanced  and  tendered  a  card  which  Pro- 
varsk,  scowling  with  annoyance,  took  and  scanned. 
His  face  changed  from  anger  to  one  of  amuse- 
ment. 

'  *  He  is  right, ' '  he  said.  "  I  Ve  an  idea  that  this 
chap  and  I  might  do  some  profitable  business  to- 
gether. No  one  I  want  to  see  so  much  just  now. 
You  can  bring  Mr.  Richard  Kent,  agent  for  John 
Rhodes,  Esq.,  up  at  once." 

The  sentry  saluted  and  disappeared,  ard  Pro- 
varsk  turned  to  his  lieutenant. 

"I  want  to  be  left  alone  and  undisturbed  when 
this  man  comes  up,"  he  said,  pointedly.  ''When 
he  gets  in  the  room  you  go  outside,  shut  the  door 
after  you,  stand  guard,  to  see  that  no  one  gets  his 
ear  tangled  up  with  a  crack  in  the  door,  and — by 
the  way — keep  your  own  away,  too.  This  is  going 
to  be  private  business !  Strictly  private !  Under- 
stand?" 

Ubaldo  grinned  mirthlessly  and  said  orders 
should  be  obeyed.  Evidently,  at  a  pinch,  he  stood 
[84] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

in  considerable  awe  of  his  new  master ;  for  he  was 
threatening  to  wax  voluble  concerning  his  own 
sense  of  discipline  when  the  visitor  arrived.  His 
advent  was  preceded  by  the  persistent  thumping 
of  a  stick  on  the  tiled  floor,  by  sundry  titters  and 
muttered  gibes  from  the  guardsmen  in  the  cor- 
ridor, then  by  his  own  voice  admonishing,  some- 
what testily,  some  unseen  person  to  exercise  more 
care  and  not  let  him  fall. 

Provarsk  saw  an  apparently  infirm,  decrepit 
and  palsied  man  being  half  led,  half  carried  into 
the  room  by  a  veritable  giant  of  an  attendant,  as 
if  the  visitor  were  paralysed  from  the  hips  down- 
ward and  could  but  drag  his  legs  with  difficulty. 

"You  discern  my  infirmities,  sir,"  said  the 
financial  agent,  "hence  I  crave  your  permission 
to  be  seated.  In  asking  such  a  favour  I — Ivan! 
What  are  you  trying  to  do?  You  lumphead! 
Trying  to  let  me  fall  and  murder  me,  eh?  Big, 
slow,  clumsy  lout!  I'll  get  another  valet!  I  will, 
so  help  me  Bob!  I  will  I" 

His  voice  had  risen  by  degrees  to  a  querulous, 
irascible  scream  that  ended  with,  * '  There !  There ! 
There !  Easy  now !  That  does  it !  Now  stand  by 
me  with  the  ammonia.  And  don't  go  to  sleep  if  I 
get  faint!" 

He  settled  helplessly  into  the  chair  toward 
which  the  baron  had  waved  a  hand,  and  panted 
laboriously  as  if  the  exertion  had  been  trying,  and 

[85] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

seemed  startled  when  the  doors  leading  to  the 
corridor  closed  with  a  harsh  clicking  sound. 

"You  are  Mr.  Kent "  suavely  began  Pro- 

varsk. 

"Financial  agent  for  John  Rhodes,  who  loaned 
this  kingdom  five  million  dollars  on  my  advice," 
the  visitor  finished  the  sentence,  eyeing  the  usurp- 
er at  the  opposite  end  of  the  table. 

Provarsk  smiled  sadly  and  shook  his  head,  quite 
with  a  regretful  air,  but  politely  waited  for  his 
visitor  to  proceed. 

' '  Dangerous  man,  this.  Knows  how  to  keep  his 
mouth  shut,"  was  Kent's  mental  measurement. 
Aloud  he  said,  "I  came  here  in  my  employer's  in- 
terests and  was  told  at  the  very  gates  of  the  palace 
that  the  king  had  abdicated  and  that  a  distin- 
guished Baron  Provarsk  now  ruled  in  his  stead, 
or  at  least  was  at  present  the  head  of  the  govern- 
ment. ' ' 

He  paused  and  watched  the  baron,  who  bit  his 
lower  lip,  tried  to  keep  from  frowning,  and  men- 
tally swore  that  he  must  find  out  which  sentry 
had  been  so  frank  in  statement  and  see  that  his 
case  was  amply  attended  to. 

"I  presume,  therefore,"  continued  the  visitor, 
"that  it  is  the  Baron  Provarsk  I  must  interview 
concerning  the  state  of  indebtedness." 

"That  is  true,"  replied  the  usurper.  "And 
I  am  Baron  Provarsk.  Now  that  you  are  made 
[86] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

comfortable,  perhaps  it  is  as  well,  considering  the 
confidential  nature  of  our  interview,  that  you  dis- 
miss your  man  for  a  few  minutes,  Mr. — ah " 

He  consulted  the  card  to  refresh  his  memory, 
"Mr.  Kent." 

"Quite  imposible!  Quite  impossible!  Quite 
impossible!"  declared  the  agent,  resuming  some 
of  his  former  air  of  irritability.  "Can't  you  see 
for  yourself  that  he  is  both  hands  and  feet  to  me? 
I'll  answer  for  him.  He  always  goes  where  I  go. 
Don't  mind  him.  Talk  as  if  he  isn't  here.  He 
forgets.  I  pay  him  for  that — and  for  being  dumb. 
Besides,  if  he  ever  said  that  you  said,  or  that  I 
said,  or  that  anybody  ever  said  anything,  at  any 
time,  or  any  place,  I  'd  say  he  was  a  liar !  All  men 
of  affairs  deny  all  interviews  and  call  all  reporters 
liars  when  it  suits  their  convenience.  So  they're 
all  liars — everybody's  a  liar,  but  you  and  me." 

Provarsk  decided  that  there  was  quite  a  lot  of 
wisdom  in  that  speech.  It  indicated  possibilities. 
Moreover,  as  it  fitted  in  so  closely  with  his  own 
cynical  code,  it  was  up  to  this  money  lender  to 
take  the  responsibility  if  anything  was  said  that 
might  prove  embarrassing. 

"As  you  wish,"  he  said,  with  a  little  shrug. 

"What  I  came  for,  and  all  that  interests  me," 
said  the  agent,  "is  to  know  what  provisions  the 
new  government  proposes  to  make  for  the  pay- 
ment of  its  bonds.  They  are  almost  due.  I  don't 

[87] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MR.  KENT 

care  a  rap  who  pays  them.  All  I  want  is  the  pay- 
ment. Money  alone  does  not  change.  It  has  no 
regard  for  the  hand  that  borrows,  spends  or  pays. 
It  absorbs  no  personality,  no  identity.  It  has 
neither  fealty  nor  religion.  It  outlasts  kings  and 
cardinals.  It  is  admirable,  being  steadfastly  it- 
self. ' '  His  eyes  were  wide  and  vacant  as  he  rhap- 
sodized; but  now  they  came  quickly  to  another 
cast  and  he  demanded,  "What  does  the  new  gov- 
ernment of  the  great  sovereign  state  of  Marken 
intend  to  do  about  the  bonds  held  by  Mr.  John 
Rhodes  ?" 

The  usurper  stared  straight  at  him,  wondering 
if  there  was  intentional  sarcasm  in  this  money 
lender's  speech,  but  meeting  a  stare  even  steadier 
than  his  own,  and  devoid  of  anything  save  enquiry, 
resolved  to  continue  in  diplomacy. 

"I  am  exceedingly  sorry,  Mr.  Kent,"  he  said, 
with  an  admirable  assumption  of  regret,  "to  say 
that  the  late  king,  my  cousin  Karl,  was  not — ah ! 
What  shall  I  say  to  seem  kindly  yet  truthful? — 
In  fact,  Karl  was  anything  but  a  great  and  far- 
sighted  monarch.  Indeed,  he  was  a  plain,  un- 
adulterated ass!" 

1 1  It  appears  so.  You  are  here ! ' '  drily  observed 
the  American,  and  again  the  usurper  wondered 
if  there  might  be  a  double  significance  in  his 
words.  Patiently,  however,  he  resumed. 

"He  managed  the  affairs  of  the  kingdom  of 
[88] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

4 

Marken  very  faultily.  He  was  a  theorist  and  a 
reformer.  The  Markenite  wishes  neither  theory 
nor  reformation.  It  is  a  staid,  sober,  and  self- 
satisfied  nation.  It  is  not  the  most  powerful  nor 
the  richest  nation  in  the  world ;  but,  such  as  it  is, 
it  is.  My  unfortunate  and  lamented  cousin  did 
not  understand  it.  It  did  not  understand  him. 
"With  the  very  best  of  intentions,  he  failed.  Failed 
because  he  was  not  adept,  as  you  and  I  are,  Mr. 
Kent,  in  financial  affairs." 

He  waited  for  an  instant  for  this  suggestion 
to  sink  in,  then,  satisfied  by  the  twinkle  in  his 
visitor's  eyes  that  it  had  been  fully  understood, 
and  being  thereby  emboldened,  proceeded  in  that 
same  gentle,  courteous,  well-modulated  tone  that 
was  quite  nearly,  if  not  wholly,  ingratiating. 

"Owing  to  this  mistaken  direction  of  funds,  and 
failure  to  realise  from  resources,  it  will  thereby 
be  necessary,  regrettable  as  it  may  seem  at  first 
sight — and  at  first  sight  only,  Mr.  Kent — that  Mr. 
Rhodes'  loan  be  extended,  and  also  that  the  state 
be  provided  with  additional  funds  that  it  may 
redeem  not  only  its  original  bonds,  but  all  others 
that  follow." 

Kent  was  thoughtfully  staring  upward,  but  now 
dropped  his  eyes  to  those  of  his  vis-a-vis. 

"Quite  so,"  he  said,  encouragingly. 

"It  would  be — let  us  say — profitable,  for  all 
concerned."  The  baron's  voice  had  lowered 

[89] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

itself  and  conveyed  much.  "It  is  the  business  of 
your  superior  to  lend  from  his  enormous  stores 
of  wealth.  A  man  with  so  much  money  has  but 
one  object,  to  lend  it.  You,  as  his  agent,  have  but 
one  employment,  to  see  that  it  is  lent.  Is  that  not 
so,  Mr.  Kent!" 

The  baron  was  now  leaning  eagerly  across  the 
big  table  with  a  meaning  smile,  like  an  angler  who 
sees  a  coveted  trout  nosing  his  bait. 

' '  Quite  so, ' '  came  again  the  encouraging  assent. 

"And  you,  as  a  most  capable  agent  for  the  most 
distinguished  financier  in  the  world,  perhaps  re- 
ceive, for  doing  the  lion's  share,  the  brainy  share, 
let  us  say,  a  commission?" 

"You  are  right  about  that,"  declared  the 
American,  grinning  steadily  into  the  baron's  fact 
and  inviting  him  to  come  still  further. 

"Then,"  said  the  baron,  dropping  all  pretence 
and  confident  of  his  ground,  "what  use  is  there 
for  you  and  me  to  ride  this  merry-go-round  any 
longer?  You  want  money.  So  do  I.  Rhodes  has 
it — plenty  of  it.  What  commission  do  you  usually 
make  on  a  loan  of  five  million  dollars?" 

Kent  eyed  him  in  perfect  understanding,  and 
pretended  a  certain  amount  of  caution  by  throw- 
ing a  quick  glance  over  his  shoulder  at  Ivan,  who, 
with  a  face  as  blank  as  the  wall,  stared  straight 
in  front  of  him,  and  even  yawned  deliberately,  as 
[90] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

if  infinitely  bored  by  hearing  a  lot  of  stuff  that 
he  had  heard  before. 

"Suppose  I  said  one  per  cent?"  questioned  the 
American  with  an  air  of  slyness. 

"Then  I  should  say,"  instantly  reciprocated  the 
baron,  now  fully  convinced,  "that  if  you  induced 
John  Rhodes  to  advance  another  million  dollars, 

you  should  be  entitled  to "    He  stopped  short, 

got  to  his  feet,  rested  his  palms  on  the  long  table 
and  leaned  far  across,  and  spoke  scarcely  above  a 
whisper — "to  a  bigger  commission  than  you  ever 
had  in  your  life.  Enough  so  that  you  could  re- 
linquish your  difficult  and  burdensome  duties,  Mr. 
Kent,  and  retire.  If  you  can  induce  Rhodes  to 
extend  the  time  of  the  previous  bonds  five  years, 
and  to  advance  five  million  francs  more  for  ten 
years,  on  the  same  terms  as  those  preceding,  I'll 
make  you  an  independent  man  by  giving  you  one 
million  francs.  Think  of  it  I  A  million  francs 
for  your  own!  Is  that  worth  while?" 

Kent  sat  stolidly  in  his  chair,  and  to  all  outward 
appearances  considered  the  proposition. 

"But  what  of  Rhodes?"  he  asked,  lifting  his 
eyes,  slowly.  "What  of  Rhodes?  Does  he  ever 
get  his  money?  How  will  you  raise  it?" 

"Sweat  it  out  of  the  hands  and  hides  of  these 
citizens  of  Mark  en!"  was  the  emphatic  reply,  still 
carried  across  the  desk  in  that  suggestive  under- 
tone. 

[91] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

' '  And  yours  ?    How  much  do  you  get  ? '  ' 

"I'll  get  enough.  That  is  not  your  affair," 
somewhat  stiffly  responded  the  usurper.  * '  All  that 
need  concern  you  is  that  I  hope,  and  think,  Rhodes 
will  lose  nothing  and  that  you  will  make  a  million 
francs.  Also  that  no  one  but  you  and  I  is  ever 
to  know  anything  about  it.  It  is,  after  all,  a  clean 
deal.  You  get  well  paid  for  your  work.  I  get 
well  paid  for  my  management.  Rhodes  gets  well 
paid  for  his  advance. " 

Again  the  American  made  that  queer  twisting 
movement  and  glanced  over  his  shoulder  to  reas- 
sure himself  that  Ivan  was  still  standing  behind 
him.  The  baron  complacently  dropped  back  into 
his  seat,  beaming  with  satisfaction.  He  accepted 
the  conclusion  too  speedily,  as  was  evinced  by  his 
visitor's  next  remark.  Kent  leaned  slowly  back, 
rested  his  hands  on  his  hips  and  laughed.  The 
usurper  frowned  at  him. 

"Hot  stuff!  Fresh  from  the  bat!"  Kent  said 
in  his  native  tongue,  then  reverted  to  the  language 
of  Marken.  * '  Say,  I  admire  your  line  of  talk !  I 
do !  You  are  quite  all  right !  I  rather  expected 
something  like  this.  "Why,  I  really  believe  you  are 
trying  to  bribe  me  personally,  aren't  you?" 

"Of  course  I  am."  The  usurper  smiled  plac- 
idly. "You  had  no  idea  I  was  sending  you  out 
into  this  cold  and  cruel  world  to  start  an  orphans ' 
home,  or  a  hospital  for  indigent  and  decrepit 
[92] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

chorus  girls,  did  you?  I  put  no  conditions  on 
what  you  are  to  do  with  the  money.  It's  for  you. ' ' 

"Have  you  ever  sold  any  green  goods?"  de- 
manded Kent  "If  not,  you've  certainly  missed 
your  calling." 

The  baron  failed  to  understand  this  literal 
translation  of  an  unknown  swindle;  but  he  sur- 
mised that  his  proffer  was  being  ridiculed,  and 
having  made  his  last  pitch  in  this  direction,  his 
face  hardened  and  he  displayed  the  real  man  he 
was,  resourceful,  striving  for  a  new  hold.  He 
became  quite  natural,  ready  to  storm  his  way 
through,  strike,  smash  under  foot,  and  pass  on. 

"You  jest,"  he  said,  unsmilingly.  "You  think 
you  can  play  with  me.  Good!  If  you  don't  induce 
Rhodes  to  advance  another  five  million  francs,  I 
promise  you  this :  that  he  shall  never  get  a  single 
centime  of  the  money  he  has  already  advanced, 
and  that  I  shall  also  tell  him  that  you  made  me 
take  this  decision.  How  does  that  strike  you,  Mr. 
Richard  Kent?" 

He  sat  back  with  an  air  of  triumph,  and  waited. 

"Strike?  How  does  that  strike  me?  Why, 
very  good,  Baron,  save  for  this:  that  I  took  a 
few  precautions  before  I  came  here.  In  fact,  you 
rather  please  me,  when  I  recall  that  you  are  some- 
what younger  than  I  and  doubtless  lacking  in 
experience.  I  think  you  might  do  well  on  Wall 
Street,  or  in  a  good  stiff  game  of  poker.  Ever 

[93] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MR.  KENT 

play  it?  That's  too  bad!  You're  ignorant  of  a 
lot  that  we  teach  school  boys,  over  in  America. 
By  the  way,  have  you  a  telegraph  form  ? ' ' 

Puzzled  by  this  swift  speech,  and  inclined  to 
believe  that  the  difference  in  national  characteris- 
tics accounted  for  any  balk  of  agreement,  after 
all,  the  baron  resumed  his  air  of  suavity,  and 
threw  a  blank  sheet  of  paper  across  the  table 
which  Ivan,  as  if  schooled  to  service,  laid  in  front 
of  his  employer,  and  handed  him  a  pencil. 

"You  said,"  remarked  Kent,  with  the  pencil 
poised  in  his  fingers  and  looking  across  at  the 
baron,  "that  if  I  didn't  get  Rhodes  to  advance 
you  five  million  francs  more,  you  would  repudiate 
the  loan?" 
"I  said  it. " 

"You  don't  dare  do  it!" 
"I  don't,  eh?    Try  me,  Mr.  Kent." 
There  was  the  utmost  assurance  in  his  words, 
but  his  manner  belied  them  as  he  watched  the 
American,  who  painstakingly  scrawled  a  message 
on  the  sheet  of  paper,  then,  almost  carelessly, 
tossed  it  along  toward  Provarsk.     It  fell  short, 
and  Ivan,  like  an  automaton,  picked  it  up  and 
handed  it  on  to  its  destination.    "With  a  show  of 
nothing  more  than  cursory  interest,  the  baron 
read  it.    It  was  addressed  to  the  foreign  minister 
of  Austria  and  said:    "Provarsk,  who  is  now  dic- 
tator of  Marken,  owing  to  the  abdication  of  Karl 
[94] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

II,  repudiates  Rhodes  loan.    The  action  previously 
agreed  upon  between  us  is  now  expected  and  will 
be  responded  to  as  promised.    Immediate  results 
will  be  easy  of  accomplishment." 
(Signed) 

"Richard  Kent,  agent  for  John  Rhodes.'7 

The  baron  read  it  with  an  unmoved  face. 

"Of  course,"  he  said,  as  placidly  as  if  discuss- 
ing the  weather,  "I  don't  understand  its  mean- 
ing." 

"That's  easy  to  explain,"  declared  the  Ameri- 
can, and  there  was  something  in  his  attitude  quite 
like  that  of  a  cat  playing  with  a  beetle,  or  a  gen- 
tleman holding  a  royal  flush  while  the  others  con- 
sider. "Austria  has  borrowed  money,  quite  a 
lot  of  it,  and  wants  more,  I  might  add,  from  Mr. 
Rhodes.  Funny  condition  attached  to  that  loan, 
Baron.  Might  interest  you  to  know  about  it. 
Laughable  and  unusual,  in  fact!" 

He  bent  forward  and  smiled  sweetly  at  the 
usurper. 

"Something  like  this:  that  loan  was  granted 
and  the  second  request  considered,  with  the  pro- 
viso that  if  Marken  refused  to  pay  that  five  mil- 
lion dollars,  Austria  was  to  immediately  take 
Itarken  and  assume  the  indebtedness." 

Provarsk  read  the  message  again,  and  pondered, 
while  gazing  at  the  sheet.  Then  he  laid  it  on  the 

[95] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

table,  impolitely  yawned  while  holding  his  finely- 
shaped  hand  over  his  mouth,  excused  himself  and 
drawled,  * '  That  was  rather  neat  of  you.  All  right ! 
I'll  have  it  sent,"  and  arose  to  reach  for  the  bell 
on  the  far  side  of  the  table. 

"Just  a  moment,"  the  American  interrupted. 
' '  Why  are  you  so  willing  to  destroy  Marken,  your 
native  state?" 

Provarsk  laughed  heartily. 

"Destroy  nothing!"  he  retorted,  contemptuous- 
ly. "I  am  merely  amused  at  the  bewilderment 
which  will  be  sustained  by  the  Austrian  minister 
on  receipt  of  this  message!" 

The  American  continued  to  watch  him  unmoved. 
The  baron,  indicating  that  he  would  no  longer 
dally  with  a  situation  over  which  he  had  control, 
sharply  rapped  his  knuckles  on  the  outspread 
message  and  said,  insolently,  "This  is  what  your 
countrymen  call  a  bluff!  You  know  it.  I'll  let 
you  know  a  little  more.  It  doesn't  in  the  least  in- 
fluence me.  You  can  send  it  if  you  wish.  I  don't 
care!  Furthermore,  this  twaddle  about  destroy- 
ing the  country  makes  me  laugh.  Rubbish !  Sheer 
rubbish!  When  addressed  to  a  man  who  has 
seized  a  throne  and  who  thereby  stakes  not  only 
his  fortunes  but  his  life  on  the  result  and  his 
ability  to  maintain  himself.  I  don't  care  much 
more  about  this  country  than  you  do,  and  you  may 
as  well  know  that,  too. ' ' 
[96] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

"Give  me  the  message/'  Kent  said. 

The  usurper  thrust  it  across  toward  him,  facili- 
tated its  passage  by  blowing  it  sharply  with  his 
pursed  lips,  and  then  calmly  sat  down.  Kent  took 
it,  twisted  it  into  a  knot,  and  with  thumb  and 
finger  flipped  it  into  the  air.  For  a  moment  they 
looked  at  each  other,  Provarsk  alert  and  with  in- 
creasing insolence,  the  American  humorously,  and 
secretly  pleased. 

""Why,  do  you  know,"  he  said  suddenly,  almost 
as  if  speaking  to  himself  and  expecting  no  reply, 
"you  are  a  lot  more  interesting  and  much  smarter 
than  I  gave  you  credit  for  being?  Somehow  or 
another,  though,  I  don't  believe  you  are  going  to 
put  it  through.  You  don't  dare  to  ruin  a  kingdom. 
You've  called  my  bluff  and  now  I  call  yours !" 

The  baron  sneered. 

"Don't  dare  to  carry  it  out  to  the  end,  you 
mean?  Try  me!" 

"Perhaps  I  shall.  That  depends.  Yes,  I  rather 
think  I  will." 

"That  old  saw  about  possession  being  nine- 
tenths,  you  know,  Mr.  Kent?"  The  baron  now 
spoke  with  painful  gentility. 

"That  being  the  case,  I  suppose  I  may  as  well 
go,"  replied  the  American. 

"Oh,  I  shouldn't  be  in  too  big  a  hurry,"  the 
usurper  said,  with  a  meaning  grin  that  did  not 
extend  above  his  lips.  "I'm  afraid,  Mr.  Richard 

[97] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MR.  KENT 

Kent,  agent  for  John  Rhodes,  that  you  shall  not 
make  your  departure  from  this  palace  until  you 
have  induced  your  employer  to  advance  the  ad- 
ditional loan.  Needless  to  add  that,  under  these 
new  conditions,  you  can  scarcely  expect  any  com- 
mission whatever." 

The  American  did  not  appear  disturbed;  yet 
there  was  a  peculiar  watchfulness  in  his  manner. 

" Humph!  You  don't  dare  to  detain  me,"  he 
said. 

"Don't  dare  to  detain  you?  That's  a  joke. 
Don't  dare?  I  dare  not  only  to  detain  you,  but, 
in  case  this  money  lending,  penny  scraping  master 
of  yours  doesn  't  advance,  I  dare  to  have  both  you 
and  that  stupid  dummy  behind  you  shot  and  put 
nicely  out  of  the  way." 

If  he  had  expected  to  frighten  his  visitor,  he 
must  have  been  disappointed;  for  the  latter 
grinned  with  the  utmost  contempt  directly  across 
at  him  and  then  chuckled  deep  in  his  throat. 

"You're  not  half  the  man  I  thought  you,"  he 
said,  jeeringly.  "I'm  quite  disappointed  in  you, 
to  tell  the  truth.  Dare?  Why,  you  wouldn't  dare 
do  anything.  It's  a  pity.  You  had  me  respect- 
ing you  as  a  pretty  fair  gamester;  but  this  last 
lot  about  detaining  me,  brigand  and  ransom  stuff, 
cheap  melodrama,  really  hurts  me!  Call  in  one 
of  those  louts  outside,  and,  by  an  exchange,  take 
your  proper  place.  You  and  your  mob  are,  after 
[98] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

all,  a  lot  of  penny  whistles  squeaking  thinly  in  a 
country  lane. ' ' 

There  was  everything  of  studied  insult  in  his 
tone,  his  look,  the  play  of  his  hands  as  he  spoke, 
and  the  baron,  surprised,  upset,  angered,  and 
tired  by  his  long  hours  of  excitement,  responded 
as  the  American  wished  and  lost  his  temper,  and 
jumped  to  his  feet  in  a  fury.  Unnoted  by  him,  the 
American  had  given  an  odd  signal  across  his 
shoulders  by  curiously  twisting  his  fingers  and 
waving  them,  and,  expectant  and  watchful,  Ivan 
had  observed  and  slowly,  cautiously,  edged  around 
the  table  side  to  his  employer's  elbow.  Now  he 
came,  inch  by  inch,  a  little  farther,  to  a  position 
where  he  could  fix  his  eyes  on  Kent's  lips.  The 
baron,  resolved  to  exert  his  authority,  came  around 
the  corner  and  reached  for  the  bell.  Kent's  lips 
moved  noiselessly,  although  he  sat  still. 

"Now!  Ivan!  Get  him!  Quickly!"  he  said,  and 
the  giant  whirled  and  leaped  even  as  the  baron's 
fingers  were  within  an  inch  of  the  bell  that  would 
summon  assistance.  One  of  Ivan's  huge  hands 
was  clasped  over  the  usurper's  mouth,  the  fingers 
seeming  bent  on  crushing  the  lower  part  of  the 
baron's  face,  while  he  threw  his  other  arm  com- 
pletely around  him,  pinioned  him  and  lifted  him 
from  the  floor  as  if  he  were  but  a  combative  boy 
in  weight  and  strength.  He  bent  him  back  across 
the  table  roughly,  then  slammed  him  down  on  the 

[99] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

top  of  it  with  such  force  that  the  baron's  breath 
was  almost  churned  from  his  body;  then,  swiftly 
releasing  his  arm  from  around  the  baron's  body, 
he  lifted  himself  on  one  tip-toe  and  planted  a 
heavy  knee  in  the  pit  of  the  baron's  stomach,  while 
the  other  hand  shot  to  the  usurper's  throat  and 
threatened  by  main  strength  to  crush  the  bones 
of  his  victim's  neck.  The  baron's  eyes  protruded 
and  he  began  to  struggle  feebly. 

Kent  rushed  to  Ivan's  side  and  attracted  his 
attention  by  tapping  him,  smartly  on  the  should- 
ers with  his  knuckles.  Ivan,  without  relaxing  his 
hold,  looked  at  his  employer's  lips. 

"Don't  kill  him!  For  heaven's  sake,  don't  kill 
him!"  Kent  muttered. 

"I've  got  to  choke  his  teeth  loose.  He  has  set 
them  in  the  palm  of  my  hand,"  the  giant  replied; 
but  was  saved  from  executing  the  baron,  who  at 
that  moment  dropped  back  inert,  his  face  purple, 
and  his  eyes  dazed  with  threatened  unconscious- 
ness. Unnoted  by  either  Kent  or  the  baron,  an 
automobile  horn  had  been  tooting  lustily  outside, 
its  mellow  notes  playing  a  trumpet  tune  that 
swept  vigorously  through  the  open  windows. 
Again  it  sounded  and  Kent  threw  his  head  up  and 
listened. 

"What  can  that  mean!"  he  voiced  aloud,  forget- 
ting that  Ivan  could  not  hear.  *  *  That  is  one  of  the 
[100] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

royal  automobiles,  because  no  others  are  allowed 
to  carry  such  horns!*' 

It  did  not  sound  again  and  the  baron  was  begin- 
ning to  recover  his  senses  and  anger;  although 
now  the  latter  was  curiously  intermingled  with 
respect,  if  not  fear.  Kent  stood  over  him  per- 
fectly calm  and  self-possesesd. 

"Listen,  Provarsk,"  he  said,  "and  make  no 
mistake.  My  man  and  I  may  have  trouble  get- 
ting you  out  of  here;  but  of  one  feature  rest  as- 
sured. If  any  of  your  sentries  come  in  to  take 
us,  or  to  help  you,  they  will  find  a  dead  leader  on 
this  table!" 

An  almost  sly  smile  shifted  the  grim  outlines  of 
his  mouth,  as  he  added,  speaking  entirely  for  the 
baron's  ears,  and  well  aware  that  Ivan,  watching 
his  prisoner,  could  not  take  the  order,  "Ivan,  if 
the  baron  opens  his  mouth  to  call  for  help,  or 
makes  any  attempt  to  reach  that  bell,  kill  him 
instantly  by  breaking  his  neck  across  the  edge  of 
the  table.  If  you  prefer,  you  may  cut  his  head 
off  with  that  knife  on  your  hip,  but  make  no 
noise.  Do  it  quickly,  and  surely." 

He  saw  that  Provarsk  was  impressed  with  his 
peril  but  also  saw  a  sudden  gleam  of  exultation 
leap  into  his  eyes  at  the  sound  which  now  became 
audible  throughout  the  corridor,  a  sound  of  com- 
motion and  a  woman's  voice  raised  to  an  indig- 
nant pitch  of  determination. 

[101] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

"How  dare  you  attempt  to  block  my  way?"  it 
demanded.  "Who  are  you  and  your  scrapheap 
band  of  adventurers  to  attempt  to  keep  me  from 
coming  into  my  own  palace  ? ' ' 

"But,  but,  Madame!"  they  heard  the  voice  of 
Ubaldo  protesting. 

"I  am  not  Madame.  I  am  Her  Royal  Highness 
the  Princess  Eloise,  and  I  am  going  to  see  and  talk 
to  Baron  Provarsk,  no  matter  who  interferes.  Out 
of  my  way!" 

"That's  the  bird  the  baron  wanted  us  to  make 
sure  of  last  night,  Captain,"  another  voice,  coarse 
and  heavy,  called  out.  "Better  let  her  go  in. 
He'll  be  glad  to  see  her." 

"But  the  princess  does  not  understand  that  my 
orders  are " 

It  was  evident  that  Ubaldo  was  retreating  in 
front  of  her  up  the  corridor  toward  the  entrance 
to  the  throne  room,  and  that  she  was  steadily  ad- 
vancing, bravely  and  impetuously  intent  on  con- 
fronting the  usurper. 

Kent's  face  hardened.  He  thrust  his  hand  into 
his  pocket,  brought  out  a  heavy  automatic  pistol, 
slipped  the  safety  catch  off  with  hands  that  did  not 
tremble,  and  planted  himself  just  inside  the  door. 
Ivan,  obedient  to  previous  understanding  that,  no 
matter  what  occurred  after  they  were  in  the  pal- 
ace, Provarsk  was  to  be  his  especial  charge,  held 
the  usurper  down  with  the  steadiness  of  a  stone 
[1021 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

man.  The  noise  in  the  corridor  increased,  making 
it  plain  that  the  guard,  highly  entertained,  had  fal- 
len into  the  Princess'  wake.  They  heard  her  turn 
on  them. 

"What  do  you  mean  by  following  after  and 
annoying  me?"  she  questioned,  angrily. 

Ubaldo,  anxious  to  find  some  means  of  extri- 
cating himself  from  a  ridiculous  position,  bawled, 
"The  princess  is  right!  Halt,  you  men!  Fall 
in!  Stand  at  attention!" 

There  was  a  quick  shuffling  of  feet  as  the 
guardsmen  obeyed. 

"Now,  Your  Royal  Highness,  if  you  still  in- 
sist, I  will  announce  you." 

"No,  you  won't!"  she  said.  "All  you  can  do 
is  to  stand  to  one  side.  I'll  announce  myself!" 

That  she  gained  her  way  was  evident  by  her 
entrance,  as  she  swung  one  of  the  doors  open  and, 
with  white  cheeks  and  blazing  eyes,  stepped  inside. 
Instantly  the  American  closed  it  behind  her.  At 
the  sound  of  the  closing  door  she  turned  appre- 
hensively like  one  entrapped,  but  both  fear  and 
anger  gave  way  to  astonishment  as  she  grasped 
the  signs  of  struggle  that  were  before  her,  the 
American  with  pistol  in  hand,  and  on  the  table  the 
discomfited  usurper  intently  watched  by  the  giant, 
who  did  not  so  much  as  glance  up  at  her  entrance. 

"What — what  is  the  meaning  of  this?"  she 

[103] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

faltered,  all  her  own  resolutions  upset  by  the 
strangeness  of  the  tableau. 

Provarsk  dumbly  rolled  his  eyes  toward  her, 
but  it  was  Kent  who  replied. 

"It  means  that  the  princess  has  arrived  at  a 
most  inopportune  moment,"  he  said,  coldly.  "I 
left  positive  instructions  that  neither  you,  nor 
any  one  else,  was  to  interfere  with  my  plans." 

"And  my  brother  took  orders  from  you,"  she 
said,  sarcasm  in  her  reflexion.  "And  I  told  him 
that  if  there  was  no  man  of  our  house  who  dared 
to  face  this  upstart  baron,  I  would  do  it  myself 
and  alone ! ' ' 

A  reluctant  approval  of  her  bravery  shone  in 
his  grim,  resolute  face. 

1 '  How  could  my  brother  know, ' '  she  demanded, 
as  her  temper  again  came  uppermost,  "that  the 
agent  of  John  Rhodes,  who  seeks  his  pound  of 
flesh  and  nothing  more,  would  not  come  here  and 
ally  himself  with  this  adventurer?" 

"I  am  not  without  honour,"  Kent  answered, 
quietly  and  with  a  fine  dignity  of  his  own.  ' '  The 
situation  as  you  find  it  is  sufficient  proof." 

She  hesitated,  bit  her  lip,  and  looked  back  at 
the  other  participants  in  this  outre  scene  into 
which  she  had  recklessly  forced  her  way.  The 
proof  of  Kent's  fidelity  to  her  house  was  palpable 
in  that  restrained  and  desperate  figure  stretched 
out  and  held  relentlessly  by  the  silent  giant,  and 
[104] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

by  the  American's  readiness  to  defend  her  against 
the  squalid  band  outside. 

"You  have  impugned  my  motives  before,"  his 
cold,  restrained  voice  again  broke  in,  and  with 
a  quality  that  she  could  not  misinterpret.  "But 
you  have  now  interfered,  seriously,  in  an  emer- 
gency whose  difficulties  are  increased  by  your 
presence.  You  have  jeopardised  our  chances; 
so  you  shall  and  must  obey  what  I  am  going  to 
tell  you." 

"Must?     Must?" 

"Must  and  shall!" 

For  an  instant  they  eyed  each  other,  and  then, 
frightened  by  his  very  domination  and  strength, 
she  felt  suddenly  disturbed. 

"Come,"  he  said,  "we  have  no  time  to  quibble. 
If  you  value  your  life,  or  your  brother's  posses- 
sion of  the  throne,  you  will  do  precisely  as  I  tell 
you.  If  this  can  not  be  accomplished  with  your 
friendship  as  an  aid,  it  shall,  nevertheless,  be  ac- 
complished. I  expect  you  to  obey,  implicitly!  It 
is  our  only  chance." 

Overawed  by  his  determined  pose,  she  bowed 
her  head,  in  enforced  assent.  He  stepped  across 
to  the  side  of  the  table,  touched  Ivan  on  the  arm, 
and  gestured  for  him  to  release  their  prisoner. 

"Get  up,  Provarsk!"  the  American  curtly  or- 
dered, and  as  the  baron  stiffly  descended  from 
the  table  and  began  with  nervous  fingers  to  rear- 

[105] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

range  his  disordered  cravat,  Kent  glanced  swiftly 
at  Ivan  to  assure  himself  that  the  latter 's  gaze 
was  fixed  on  his  lips.  He  spoke  slowly,  distinctly, 
and  with  forceful  quietness,  addressing  himself 
to  the  baron  but  with  his  head  slightly  turned  that 
the  giant  might  read. 

"Provarsk,  you  and  I  are  going  out  of  this 
room  and  through  that  corridor,  arm-in-arm,  while 
you  apparently  assist  me  in  a  friendly  fashion. 
Ivan  will  support  me  on  the  opposite  side,  be- 
cause my  arms  will  be  crossed,  the  one  on  your 
side  being  beneath  my  coat.  You  will  support 
me  with  your  left  side  toward  me,  my  gentle 
friend,  for  a  definite  reason." 

He  grinned  and  paused  to  give  his  words  effect. 

"That  reason  being,  as  you  may  have  surmised, 
that  every  foot  of  the  way  the  hand  beneath  my 
coat  will  be  pressing  this  gun  against  your  heart, 
and  that  if  you  even  falter,  attempt  to  break  loose, 
or  give  the  slightest  alarm,  I  '11  kill  you  as  remorse- 
lessly as  I  would  a  snake.  Our  peaceful  progress 
is  the  only  way  by  which  you  have  the  remotest 
chance  of  being  alive  fifteen  minutes  from  now. 
If  we  are  compelled  to  fight  our  way  out,  it  will 
be  after  your  dead  carcass  is  left  behind  on  the 
corridor  tiles.  Make  no  mistake  concerning  my 
determination  and  ability  to  carry  this  through. 
This  time  there  is  no  bluff." 

Terrified  by  the  possibilities  of  tragedy  before 
[106] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

her  eyes,  the  princess  asked  in  an  awed  whisper, 
"What  do  you  intend  to  do  with  him?" 

"If  he  lives  through  the  next  few.  minutes,  I 
shall  take  him  to  the  automobile  waiting  there  in 
the  street,  and  kidnap  him.  After  the  king  has 
returned  to  his  throne,  we  shall  see!  Probably  I 
shall  permit  him  to  live.  That  depends  entirely 
on  his  behaviour.  I  expect  you  to  play  your  part 
well." 

He  turned  to  the  baron  with  a  scowl  on  his  face. 

"Now!"  he  said.  "This,  as  sure  as  you're 
alive,  is  a  moment  of  fate  for  you.  Also,  lest 
any  of  your  fool  guard  might  suspect,  you  must 
pretend  to  engage  me  in  friendly  conversation. 
The  friendlier  the  better,  my  lad,  for  I  shall  listen 
earnestly  to  that  pleasant  discourse  that  I  expect 
to  fall  from  your  lips.  I  have  observed  that  you 
can  talk  rather  well,  on  occasion.  Open  the  doors, 
Princess  Eloise,  and  pass  out.  You  know  the 
way." 

Eight  royally  she  obeyed,  nerving  herself  to  a 
direct  and  unfaltering  progress.  Her  pale,  clean- 
ly-cut face,  the  haughty  carriage  of  her  finely 
poised  head,  and  her  deliberate,  graceful  stride 
proclaimed  her  the  royal  princess  in  truth.  So 
far  as  any  nervous  betrayal  was  concerned,  she 
might  have  been  leading  the  way  to  some  affair  of 
state.  She  stared  with  cool  contempt  at  the  little 

[107] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

guard  of  adventurers  who  stood  at  stiff  attention 
against  the  corridor  walls. 

Provarsk  felt  the  strength  of  the  rigid  arm 
that  clasped  his  own  against  the  American's  side, 
and  the  rigid  pressure  beneath  it  of  the  firmly- 
held  steel  tube.  Any  doubts  he  had  relative  to 
the  helplessness  of  his  position  were  confirmed. 
Any  hope  he  cherished  of  escape  was  subdued  by 
the  fear  and  certainty  of  death,  imminent,  ready, 
and  inexorable;  for  now,  to  increase  his  discom- 
fiture, the  hobbling,  dragging  man,  a  picture  of 
physical  incapacity,  had  bent  a  trifle  forward  and 
turned  his  gaze  upward  that  he  might  watch  even 
the  expression  of  his  prisoner's  face.  The  surrep- 
titious wink  of  an  eye  would,  Provarsk  felt,  be 
as  fatal  as  a  shrill  scream. 

"Ah!  My  dear  Baron,  you  were  saying ?" 

He  writhed  mentally  at  the  sound  of  the  high, 
querulous,  assumed  voice,  and  hastened  to  reply 
when  he  felt  the  pressure  of  the  pistol's  muzzle 
harshly  increased  against  his  ribs. 

"I  was  saying,"  he  replied,  with  cool,  untrem- 
bling  bravado,  "that  we  can  finally  rearrange  our 
affairs  at  a  later  date.  At  present,  of  course,  you 
have  the  best  of  it." 

"Decidedly!    Decidedly!"  croaked  the  visitor. 

"And  there  is  nothing  I  love  better  than  a  man 

who  tries  to  balance  his  obligations.    But  I  trust, 

my  dear  Baron  Provarsk,  that  the  cares  of  state 

[108] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

which  now  burden  you  will  soon  be  over  with." 
The  usurper's  face  flushed  red,  but  he  controlled 
himself  to  pass  the  crisis.  This  American  had 
taunted  him,  and  played  with  him  in  the  moment 
when  disaster  had  overtaken  his  plans — but  what- 
ever else  he  was,  Provarsk  was  a  good  sports- 
man, and,  somehow,  the  humour  of  the  situation, 
even  in  this  time  of  stress,  appealed.  He  broke 
into  a  cynical  laugh  that  echoed  through  the  cor- 
ridors and  convinced  the  wondering  Ubaldo  that 
there  was  nothing  covert  in  the  situation.  The  lat- 
ter even  grinned  and  winked  at  his  comrades  after 
the  procession  disappeared  and  declared,  "Trust 
him!  He's  a  fox!  Already  he  has  that  dodder- 
ing old  ass  just  where  he  wants  him.  Now  you 
fellows  can  take  a  rest!" 

The  two  sentries  on  guard  in  the  gaily  painted 
sentry  boxes  outside  the  palace  gates  decided, 
when  they  saw  the  princess,  who  had  almost  forced 
her  way  into  the  palace,  reappear  and  enter  her 
car,  that  they  had  done  well  to  admit  her;  for 
surely  that  great  leader,  Baron  Provarsk,  whom 
they  had  assisted  to  the  throne,  talked  most  gaily 
when  he  drove  away  in  the  second  car  with  the 
high-voiced,  cackling  old  man  who  still  clung  to 
him  in  a  most  friendly  manner.  The  only  diffi- 
culty about  a  revolution,  after  all,  the  sentries 
decided,  was  that  it  robbed  the  invaders  of  enough 
sleep,  and  thereupon  they  yawned  widely  and 

[109] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

tried  once  more  to  interest  themselves  in  the  ap- 
pearance of  the  villagers  and  farmers  who  passed 
leisurely  with  baskets  and  fowls,  totally  unaware 
that  they  were  in  the  midst  of  a  revolt. 


[110] 


CHAPTER  SIX 

TWO  automobiles,  the  first  a  closed  car  car- 
rying a  royal  princess  who  was  still  in  a 
state  of  mental  turmoil  and  distress,  large- 
ly punctuated  at  times  by  the  knowledge  that  she 
had  met  one  man  who  paid  no  deference  to  her 
title,  and  the  second  a  long,  stream-line  touring 
car  bearing  on  its  panels  the  arms  of  Baron  Von 
Hertz,  and  carrying  three  passengers  and  a  chauf- 
feur in  the  baron's  uniform,  stormed  up  the  steep 
ascent  to  the  Castle  Hertz,  and  came  to  a  halt. 

Two  men  emerged  anxiously  from  the  great 
doors  and  smiled  with  satisfaction  when  they  iden- 
tified the  occupants  of  the  second  car. 

"Got  him!"  exclaimed  Kent,  leaping  easily 
from  the  car.  "And,  by  the  way,  Baron  Von 
Hertz,  if  those  gates  or  the  drawbridge  still  work, 
it  might  be  as  well  to  close  them  until  we  finish  our 
business  with  our  guest.  He's  able,  and  slippery." 

The  old  baron,  chuckling,  ambled  away  to  obey 
the  request.  Ivan  alighted,  the  Princess  Eloise 
had  already  reached  earth  and  told  her  chauffeur 
to  take  his  car  to  the  garage,  and  Provarsk,  re- 
signed for  the  moment  to  his  capture,  slowly 

[111] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

descended.  He  smiled  cheerfully  at  the  king, 
bowed  with  mock  politeness,  and  quite  airily 
waved  his  hand. 

"Good  morning,  Cousin,"  he  said.  "I  hope  I 
see  you  well?" 

The  king  stared  at  him  with  smouldering  eyes. 
The  princess  tossed  her  head,  turned  her  back,  and 
walked  into  the  castle. 

"She  doesn't  seem  fond  of  me,  Cousin,"  whim- 
sically exclaimed  the  usurper. 

The  king  disdained  reply. 

"It's  a  very  cold,  formal,  inhospitable  place  to 
which  you  have  brought  me,  Mr.  Kent,"  observed 
the  baron,  turning  toward  the  American  with  an 
air  of  gentle  reproof.  "I  had  anticipated  a  wel- 
come !  Glad  shouts  from  the  peasantry !  Einging 
of  joy  bells  in  the  castle." 

"Why?"  questioned  Kent,  drily.  "Perhaps 
none  of  us  regarded  you  as  worth  it."  He  sud- 
denly dropped  all  badinage  and  turned  to  Baron 
Von  Hertz,  who  had  returned  from  his  mission. 
"I  suppose  you  have  some  place  where  you  can 
keep  our  guest  securely?" 

"Several  very  fine,  unhealthy  dungeons  here," 
cheerfully  replied  the  baron. 

The  American  thoughtfully  stared  at  the  usurp- 
er, and  then  said,  "No,  I  don't  think  I  like  that. 
I  don't  want  him  to  contract  typhus,  or  influenza, 
or  croup.    He 's  too  nice  a  boy  for  that.    Besides, 
[112] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

I  may  want  to  use  Mm,  later  on.  "What's  up  in 
those  towers?" 

* '  That  one  over  there, ' '  the  baron  indicated  with 
a  pointed  finger,  "  contains  rather  a  fair  prison 
chamber.  Strong  enough;  but  no  one  has  en- 
tered it,  so  far  as  I  know,  for  about  a  hundred 
years. ' ' 

"Good!  Can't  it  be  made  comfortable  for  the 
baron?" 

"Quite  easily,"  declared  Von  Hertz.  "And  in 
the  meantime  I  can  have  him  guarded  in  another 
chamber.  Bring  him  along." 

Provarsk  unhesitatingly  followed  the  owner  of 
the  castle  with  the  American  leisurely  pacing  by 
his  side  and  Ivan  in  the  rear. 

"That's  decent  of  you,  Mr.  Kent,"  the  prisoner 
said,  calmly. 

"Why  not?  I've  no  ill-feeling  against  you, 
Provarsk.  We've  merely  played  in  the  same  game 
and  you've  lost." 

"So  far!"  the  prisoner  qualified. 

Kent  laughed  approvingly. 

"Now  you're  talking!"  he  declared.  "That's 
just  the  kind  of  spirit  I  like.  I  had  sort  of  lost 
interest  in  you  a  while  back.  You  seemed  too 
easy;  but  now  I  really  begin  to  regard  you  as 
worth  while.  Hello!  Here  we  are.  Nice  room, 
too." 

He  walked  across  and  looked  through  a  win- 

[113] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

dow,  observing  that  it  overlooked  a  precipitous 
cliff  with  a  sheer  drop  below  it  of  several  hundred 
feet.  No  other  doors  save  the  one  through  which 
they  entered  gave  egress.  The  room  was  spacious 
and  quite  modernly  furnished.  He  walked  back 
and  examined  the  heavy,  old-fashioned,  cumber- 
some-keyed lock  on  the  stout  oaken  door  and  spoke 
to  Baron  Von  Hertz: 

"Why  not  leave  him  here?  With  a  proper 
guard  on  the  outside,  this  makes  a  very  nice  prison 
for  our  friend,  the  baron.  I  prefer  that  he  be 
treated  as  a  distinguished  guest,  who  has  a  queer 
desire  to  remain  in  his  own  room  for  the  time 
being.  Have  I  your  assent,  sir?" 

The  fine  old  eyes  of  Baron  Von  Hertz  twinkled 
humorously  at  the  American,  for  whom  plainly 
he  had  formed  a  distinct  liking. 

"It  shall  be  exactly  as  you  wish,  Mr.  Kent,"  he 
assented.  "Also  you  may  trust  me  to  see  that 
your  guest  does  not  lack  for  prompt  attention. 
Indeed,  to  make  sure  of  it,  I  shall  keep  at  least 
four  men  on  guard  in  the  corridor  from  now  on, 
so  that  on  the  slightest  sound  from  within  they 
may  hasten  to  learn  what  the  Baron  Provarsk 
desires.  And  that  even  his  slightest  restlessness 
in  the  night  may  be  noted  I  will  also  have  a  night 
service  as  well.  Prompt  attention  shall  be  the 
rule  of  the  Hotel  Hertz.  Is  there  anything  he 
wishes  now,  prior  to  our  departure  t" 
[114] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MR.  KENT 

Provarsk  grinned  nonchalantly  and  threw  him- 
self into  a  chair. 

"Some  ham  and  eggs,  Landlord,  and  see  to  it 
that  the  eggs  are  fried  on  both  sides.  Bread  and 
butter.  No  rancid  stuff,  mind  you,  or  I'll  complain 
to  the  management.  Coffee !  lots  of  it,  with  ample 
cream.  The  fact  of  the  matter  is  that  some  small 
business  affairs  of  mine  have  been  so  urgent  that 
I've  not  had  time  to  eat  during  the  last  twenty- 
four  hours.  I  shall  be  glad  for  a  rest — just  a 
slight  one,  you  understand,  because  I  really  must 
resume  my  industries  at  the  first  opportunity." 

"Quite  so!  Quite  so!"  Von  Hertz  replied  in 
the  same  vein.  "You  may  trust  me  to  observe 
even  the  most  minute  details  for  your  comfort." 

"And  before  we  go — sorry,  Provarsk!"  Kent 
stepped  quickly  across  and  relieved  the  baron  of 
a  small  pocket  pistol  and  a  penknife,  while  the 
latter  said,  gaily,  "So  am  I  sorry!  Bather  hoped 
you'd  overlook  them." 

He  had  calmly  cocked  his  heels  up  on  the  edge 
of  the  casement  and  was  whistling  softly  between 
his  teeth  when  they  bolted  the  door  on  him.  Ivan 
was  left  on  guard  for  the  few  minutes  necessary 
for  his  relief  and  when  he  descended  the  stairs 
was  at  once  directed  to  the  small  reception  room 
in  which  Baron  Von  Hertz  had  received  his  guests 
on  the  previous  night.  The  king  and  the  Ameri- 
can were  standing  in  the  centre  of  the  room,  the 

[115] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

latter  evidently  repeating  some  former  instruc- 
tions. 

"And  you  are  quite  certain  that  Captain  Paulo 
has  had  sufficient  time  and  can  be  depended  on 
to  the  minute?"  the  American  asked. 

"Positive!"  declared  the  king  with  great  ear- 
nestness. 

"And  you  will  attend  to  the  other  arrange- 
ments?" 

"Yes,  Mr.  Kent. " 

"Then  here  goes,  and — good  luck  to  us  all!" 

The  American  would  have  turned  from  the  room 
without  further  ceremony,  but  the  king's  face 
glowed  and  impetuously  he  held  out  his  hand. 

"Just  a  moment,  sir,"  he  said.  "If  anything 
goes  wrong  and — your  mission  may  be  dangerous ! 
I  want  you  to  know  that  I  appreciate  all  you  have 
done  and  are  trying  to  do  for  me." 

The  American  seemed  embarrassed  by  this  dis- 
play of  gratitude.  He  took  the  king's  hand,  but 
answered,  brusquely,  "Pshaw!  You  fail  to  un- 
derstand that  what  I  am  trying  to  do  is  to  save  my 
own  credit,  and  to  make  certain  that  John  Rhodes' 
money  is  not  lost.  I  have  no  sentiment — that  is 
— to  amount  to  anything.  Good-bye." 

He  beckoned  to  Ivan  and  passed  directly  out  to 
the  still  waiting  touring  car,  into  which  he 
climbed. 

"Drive  us  back  to  the  palace  in  Marken,"  he 
[116] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MR.  KENT 

ordered  the  chauffeur,  wondering  in  the  mean- 
time if  Baron  Von  Hertz  had  neglected  to  arrange 
for  the  opening  of  the  gates  whenever  his  visitor 
wished.  He  saw  that  such  instructions  had  been 
given  by  the  very  promptitude  with  which  they 
were  widely  flung,  and  then  settled  back  into  his 
seat  as  the  car  gathered  momentum,  and  carefully 
took  the  curves  of  the  winding  road  leading  to  the 
valley  below.  Speculatively  he  studied  the  rich 
valley  with  its  farms  and  clusters  of  farm  cot- 
tages, appearing  from  that  height  like  a  great 
garden  trimly  cultivated,  the  distant  ranges  of 
mountains  where  carefully  maintained  forests  al- 
ternated with  fields,  and,  far  beyond,  the  spires 
of  Marken.  It  was  a  land  capable  of  rendering 
profit,  he  decided,  reflectively,  and  what  was  more, 
he,  the  American,  unhampered  by  tradition  and 
eager  for  such  an  experiment,  would  see  that  it 
did  yield  profit  or  prove  his  own  incompetence 
as  a  manager.  Also,  he  concluded,  this  was  the 
finest  sport  in  which  he  had  ever  engaged  and 
better,  somewhat,  than  trout  fishing. 

His  meditations  were  brought  to  an  abrupt  stop 
by  a  sharp  explosion,  the  car  swerved,  and  came 
to  a  halt  beside  the  highway.  Almost  as  the  chauf- 
feur's feet  struck  the  macadam  he  was  by  his 
side.  The  cause  was  plain,  a  flattened  tire  sagging 
flaccidly  under  the  weight  above  it.  Anxiously 
the  American  looked  at  his  watch. 

[117] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MR.  KENT 

* '  Hang  it  all ! "  he  exclaimed  savagely.  *  *  We  Ve 
no  time  to  lose.  Not  even  five  minutes.  Any  delay 

at  the  other  end  and "  he  snapped  his  fingers 

conclusively.  He  stood  above  the  chauffeur  while 
the  latter  unstrapped  an  old-style  wheel  and  urged 
him  to  haste.  He  himself  seized  the  jack,  but 
was  thrust  aside  by  Ivan,  whose  mighty  muscles 
sent  the  lever  flying  up  and  down.  Together  they 
worked  with  the  adjustment,  and  again  Ivan 
worked  the  pump  with  which  the  car  was  pro- 
vided, grumbling  in  the  meantime  that  they  had 
to  resort  to  such  old-time  methods,  thereby  losing 
precious  minutes  from  their  progress.  When  he 
climbed  back  into  the  car  and  they  moved  ahead 
at  high  speed,  he  again  studied  his  timepiece  and 
said  to  Ivan,  in  that  voiceless  motion  of  the  lips, 
"This  difference  of  twenty  minutes  may  upset  the 
whole  game;  but  we've  got  to  do  our  best.  It 
cuts  us  out  of  a  chance  for  overcoming  awkward 
preliminaries.  Two  o'clock  was  the  hour  set  for 
everything." 

Again  they  halted  in  front  of  the  palace  and  the 
sentries  saw  the  crippled  old  gentleman  assisted 
from  the  car.  Baron  Provarsk,  he  explained  to 
them,  would  return  shortly,  and  had  requested 
that  he,  Mr.  Kent,  should  be  conducted  to  the 
smaller  throne  room,  there  to  wait.  Unques- 
tioningly  the  sentries  admitted  the  caller ;  for  was 
he  not  the  usurper's  friend?  And  also,  the  news 
[118] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MR.  KENT 

had  spread,  that  through  this  old  simpleton  money 
was  to  come — plenty  of  it — enough  to  make  them 
all  rich.  One  of  the  lounging  soldiers  of  fortune 
inside  evon  assisted  the  visitor  up  the  wide  marble 
steps  and  along  the  corridor  where  drowsy  men 
fell  back  to  give  space. 

Inside  the  room  Ubaldo,  Provarsk 's  captain  at 
arms,  sat  beside  the  table  talking  to  two  other 
men,  and  his  face,  that  had  been  perturbed,  cleared 
when  he  saw  the  American  ushered  in.  He  stared 
at  the  door  through  which  Kent  and  Ivan  entered, 
as  if  expecting  the  usurper  to  follow  them,  and 
betrayed  disappointment  that  this  expectation 
was  not  fulfilled.  Without  asking  consent,  Ivan 
led  Kent  to  a  seat  at  the  head  of  the  table,  as  if 
unaware  that  this  post  of  honour  was  reserved  for 
the  ruler  of  the  country,  then  respectfully  backed 
away  until  he  stood  to  one  side  of  the  door. 

* '  Baron  Provarsk  did  not  return  with  you,  sir  ?  " 
Ubaldo  asked  with  an  effort  at  politeness. 

The  American  again  consulted  his  watch  be- 
fore answering,  and  a  look  of  satisfaction  crept 
over  his  face.  Leisurely  he  snapped  the  case  shut, 
slipped  the  timepiece  back  into  his  pocket,  leaned 
back  in  his  chair  and  clasped  his  hands  together 
carelessly.  A  dry  grin  broke  over  his  lips,  as  he 
looked  at  Ubaldo  and  then  answered. 

"No,  Baron  Provarsk  did  not  return  with  me. 
In  fact,  the  last  I  saw  of  him  he  was — er — whist- 

[1191 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

ling  with  satisfaction  while  waiting  for  some  ham 
and  eggs,  some  bread  and  butter,  and  a  cup  of 
coffee  to  be  served  with  pure  cream." 

The  three  adventurers  looked  at  one  another 
perplexed.  It  was  Ubaldo  who  spoke. 

"When  may  we  expect  him,  sir,  may  I  ask?" 

"Why,  as  for  that,  not  at  all,"  Kent  answered, 
with  evident  candour. 

"For  what  reason?"  Ubaldo  demanded,  while 
his  comrades  looked  their  intense  anxiety. 

"Well,  mainly  for  this  reason,"  Kent  said,  with 
the  same  dry  grin.  "As  you,  being  his  right-hand 
man,  doubtless  know,  the  principal  thing  he 
wanted  was  money,  and  after  that  power!  Pro- 
varsk  is  no  fool,  I  can  tell  you.  Pretty  far-sighted, 
I  should  say.  He  wanted  to  see  the  king.  Insisted 
on  it,  I  believe.  As  a  result  of  it  all,  they  seem 
to  have  come  to  a  most  satisfactory  understand- 
ing. Quite  satisfactory,  one  might  conclude.  The 
baron  is  thus  rendered  quite  happy  by  being  en- 
abled, with  money,  to  go  his  way  rejoicing.  The 
king  is  probably  equally  happy  at  being  enabled 
to  return  to  his  throne  without  any  fuss  whatever, 
and  so  there  you  are!" 

"You  mean  weVe  been  sold  out?"  This  time 
Ubaldo 's  voice  rose  to  an  angry  roar,  and  his  two 
comrades  lent  their  anger  to  the  occasion. 

"Put  it  that  way  if  it  suits  you  best,"  Kent  re- 
[120] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MR.  KENT 

marked,  carelessly  lifting  his  hand  to  conceal  a 
yawn. 

Ubaldo 's  companions  broke  for  the  door  and  out 
into  the  corridor  bawling,  " Betrayed!  We've 

been  betrayed !  Sold  out  by  that '  *  And  what 

they  called  Provarsk  would  not  have  been  pleas- 
ant to  the  usurper's  ears.  Ubaldo  turned,  hesi- 
tantly, as  if  to  call  them  back,  and  Kent  seized 
the  opportunity  to  give  a  noiseless  command  to 
Ivan. 

"When  I  get  them  all  inside,"  he  said,  "you 
slip  out  quickly  and  see  that  the  palace  gates  are 
not  barred,"  and  then,  speaking  aloud,  he  called 
to  Ubaldo. 

"It  seems  to  me  that  your  fellows  are  making 
a  pretty  good-sized  noise  over  nothing.  Noise 
isn't  going  to  help  you." 

In  the  corridor  outside  could  be  heard  oaths, 
hoarse  exclamations  and  the  sound  of  running 
bootheels  over  the  tiled  floors.  Several  of  Pro- 
varsk 's  adventurers  came  tearing  into  the  throne 
room,  shaking  their  fists  and  wanting  to  know 
if  what  they  had  heard  was  the  truth.  Their 
leader  tried  in  vain  to  control  them  for  some 
minutes,  and  at  last,  when  he  obtained  attention, 
did  so  by  outbawling  them  all. 

"Silence!  Silence,  there,  you  men!  Who's 
leader  here?  You  or  me?  I  tell  you  to  hold  your 

[121] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

tongues  until  we  find  out  about  this.  Do  you 
hear  me?" 

Slowly  and  sullenly  they  became  subdued. 
Ubaldo  then  turned  fiercely  on  the  American, 
who  sat  impassive  at  the  head  of  the  table,  his 
manner  portraying  nothing  more  than  a  melan- 
choly, almost  disinterested  curiosity  in  his  sur- 
roundings. 

"Now,  you  limping  old  fossil !"  Ubaldo  snarled, 
"you'll  tell  us  exactly  what  happened.  And  don't 
forget  this;  if  you  don't  tell  the  truth,  I'll  cook 
you,  inch  by  inch,  and  then  throw  the  cinders  into 
the  streets." 

The  "old  fossil"  looked  mildly  surprised. 

"I  thought  I  did  tell  you,"  he  said.  "If  I've 
got  to  tell  it  again,  suppose  you  call  all  your  men 
in  to  hear  it.  It  strikes  me  that  you're  only  one 
of  them,  and  that  any  man  that  joined  your  ex- 
pedition has  just  as  much  right  to  know  what  is 
up  as  you  have." 

' '  That 's  right !  You  're  right  there ! "  the  other 
adventurers  in  the  room  yelled  in  chorus,  some 
of  them  in  the  meantime  scowling  at  Ubaldo  and 
muttering  to  their  neighbours  that  he  was  the  one, 
after  all,  who  had  got  them  into  the  mess.  Ubaldo 
recognised  the  sign  of  danger,  and  tried  to  quell 
it ;  but  he  was  unheeded  in  the  turmoil.  Two  of  the 
guardsmen  rushed  out  of  the  room  to  summon 
their  comrades.  Ubaldo  was  vainly  trying  to 
[122] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

bring  those  within  the  room  to  a  cooler  state  of 
mind  when  the  others  began  to  arrive,  some  of 
them  hurriedly  pulling  on  their  tunics  and  frowsy- 
headed,  attesting  that  they  had  been  aroused 
from  sleep.  Kent,  imperturbably  watching,  de- 
cided that  they  were  all  there,  inasmuch  as  the 
two  men  who  had  rushed  out  to  give  the  summons 
came  in  last,  accompanied  by  the  gate  sentries, 
and  the  corridor  was  stilL 

"All  I  can  say,"  he  remarked,  quietly,  "is  just 
about  what  I've  said  before.  Baron  Provarsk  is 
at  this  moment  the  contented  guest  of  the  king. 
He's  in  a  place  where  you  men  can't  reach  him. 
I  fancy  he  will  remain  there  so  long  as  he  fears 
he  might  meet  any  of  you.  In  fact,  he  doesn't 
seem  eager  to  renew  the  acquaintance  of  any  of 
you.  I  don't  believe  he  likes  you.  Indeed,  he  has 
been  unkind  enough,  once  or  twice,  to  refer  to 
you  as  a  lot  of  jackasses,  and  what  he  said  about 
Mr. — what's  this  your  name  is — Ubaldo?  I  don't 
care  to  repeat.  Why,  Mr.  Ubaldo,  do  you  know, 
he  said  to  me,  Provarsk  did,  that  if  all  your  brains 
were  taken  out  of  your  skull  and  boiled  into  tallow, 
they  wouldn't  make  a  candle  for  a  glow  worm! 
He  said  your  head  would  make  a  fine  snare  drum ! 
For  goodness'  sake,  man!  Don't  be  angry  with 
me!  I'm  just  telling  you  what  the  Baron  Pro- 
varsk said  after  he  left  the  palace  with  me  this 


morning." 


[123] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

Ubaldo  grew  red  with  anger  and  sputtered,  and 
his  temper  was  not  assisted  by  the  remarks  of 
some  of  his  army. 

Kent  observed  with  satisfaction  that  Ivan  had 
disappeared  from  his  post  by  the  doorway.  In 
an  instant's  lull  in  the  turmoil  about  him,  he  heard 
the  faint,  clarion  warning  of  an  automobile  horn 
that  played  the  same  gentle  notes  indicative  of 
the  approach  of  the  royal  automobile,  and,  keenly 
alive  to  the  necessity  of  holding  this  swarm  of 
adventurers  a  few  minutes  longer,  rapped  on  the 
table  with  his  bare  knuckles  and  called,  in  his 
powerful  voice,  "Gentlemen!  Attention,  please  I 
Let  me  finish." 

He  waited  until  they  were  again  quiet,  strain- 
ing his  ears  the  while  for  a  repetition  of  the  horn's 
warning,  but  hearing  nothing,  settled  to  his  task. 

"Now  let  us  be  reasonable,"  he  said.  "You 
are  all  reasonable  men,  I  take  it.  You  joined  this 
expedition,  somehow,  with  the  hope  of  bettering 
yourselves — making  money,  securing  a  steady 
place.  Well,  you  didn't  get  it.  You  are  done. 
Your  jig  is  up.  You  are  in  jeopardy.  You  Ve  no 
more  chance  than  a  lot  of  dogs  in  a  city  pound. 
There  is  no  one  now  but  the  king  who  can  grant 
you  amnesty.  You  couldn't  escape  from  Marken 
if  you  tried.  You  know  what  they  usually  do  with 
fellows  like  you  are,  when  they  catch  them,  don't 
you  f  If  you  don 't,  I  '11  tell  you.  They  hang  them ! 
[124] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

Why,  I  wouldn't  give  a  centime  for  all  of  your 
chances,  unless  you  can  square  it,  someway,  with 
the  king.  There's  no  use  for  you  to  fight.  You 
are  probably  pretty  good,  and  used  to  it ;  but  fifty 
men  can't  do  anything  against — say — five  thou- 
sand good,  husky  peasants  armed  with  everything 
from  a  blunderbuss  to  a  high-powered,  flat  tra- 
jectory rifle.  They'd  get  you,  sure!  The  only 
thing  for  you  chaps  to  do  is  to  lay  down  your 
hands. ' ' 

He  cocked  his  head  sidewise  and  paused,  in  a 
listening  attitude,  for  again  he  heard  the  horn, 
quite  distinctly  now.  His  suspense  grew  and 
with  it  ran  his  resolution  to  hold  this  mob  to  the 
last  moment. 

11  Don't  pay  any  attention  to  him!'*  shouted 
Ubaldo.  "Don't  be  fools!" 

"Why,  that's  what  Provarsk  called  you,"  Kent 
said,  plaintively.  "He  said  that  if  you  had  had 
the  wisdom  of  a  garden  worm,  everything  would 
have  been  all  right.  And  he  said " 

"Shut  up!"  yelled  Ubaldo,  menacingly,  drop- 
ping his  hand  to  the  hilt  of  his  sword.  "I'll  run 
you  through  if  you  don't!  You  men  keep  quiet. 
Hear  what  I've  got  to  say.  You  don't  know  but 
what  this  old  paralytic  is  a  liar,  sent  here  by  the 
king  to  blindfold  you ! '  * 

The  crowd  glared  at  the  American  as  if  this 
suggestion  had  not  hitherto  dawned  upon  them. 

[125] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MR.  KENT 

' '  Very  unkind  of  you, ' '  Kent  murmured.  * '  And 
maybe  they  are  already  convinced  that  you  are 
one." 

Ubaldo  wasted  no  time  in  retort. 

"The  only  chance  we've  got,"  he  said,  loudly, 
"is  to  hold  this  palace  until  Baron  Provarsk  re- 
turns, or  until  we  can  make  terms !  Besides,  we  've 
got  this  old  imbecile  as  a  hostage  and,  if  he's  a 
friend  of  the  king's,  they'll  let  us  go  rather  than 
let  him  be  toasted.  Get  back  to  the  gates,  some 
of  you  fellows.  Others  of  you  go  to  the  walls. 
Don't  let  any  one  but  Provarsk  in.  I've  warned 
you  about  that  before,  and  now  you  see  what  kind 
of  a  fix  you  are  in  by  not  obeying  my  orders.  Get 
out  and  ready  to  defend  yourselves,"  he  shouted 
to  spur  them  to  action.  But  before  any  of  them 
could  obey,  the  pretended  paralytic  had  leapt 
from  his  chair  and  now  stood  in  the  door  with  his 
hand  upraised,  and  his  eyes  blazing  at  them. 

"Stop!"  he  commanded. 

They  paused,  astonished  at  his  physical  agility, 
and  the  aspect  of  power  presented  by  his  com- 
manding gesture.  Suddenly,  while  they  hesitated, 
through  the  corridor  rang  the  loud  blare  of  a 
trumpet. 

'  *  Gentlemen !    You  are  too  late !    See ! ' ' 

He  sprang  to  the  hangings  that  barred  the  view 
of  the  corridor,  jerked  them  aside,  and  the  dis- 
comfited adventurers  huddled  backward  to  a  solid 
[126] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

group  when  they  saw  that  the  corridor  was  nearly 
filled  with  trimly-uniformed  soldiers  of  the  royal 
army  who  stood  quietly  with  rifles  at  the  "  Beady. " 

There  was  another  blast  of  a  trumpet,  and  the 
American  moved  slowly  toward  the  side  of  the 
doorway,  announcing  as  he  did  so,  "Here  comes 
the  king!" 

In  a  desperate,  awed  silence,  helpless  and  de- 
feated, they  fixed  their  eyes  on  the  door  through 
which,  followed  by  the  Princess  Eloise,  Baron  Von 
Glutz  and  Captain  Paulo,  and  accompanied  by  a 
body  guard,  the  king  entered,  walked  slowly  across 
the  room  and  then  halted  and  scornfully  eyed 
them,  man  by  man,  these  who  would  have  mur- 
dered him  for  a  usurper's  hire. 

"I  present  to  Your  Majesty,"  said  a  calm,  sar- 
castic voice,  ''fifty  gentlemen-at-arms.  A  fine 
batch  of  jailbirds  who  at  present  are  idle,  having 
just  been  mustered  out." 


[127] 


CHAPTER  SEVEN 

CAPTAIN  PAULO,  standing  in  one  of  the 
small  reception  rooms  of  Castle  Hertz,  and 
staring  absently  across  the  lawn  on  which 
the  morning  sun  was  shining,  whistled  softly  a 
very  gay  tune,  indicative  of  a  well-contented  spirit. 
A  movement  behind  him  caused  him  to  turn 
quickly,  and  instantly  he  came  to  attention,  then 
made  a  punctilious  bow. 

"Your  Royal  Highness " 

"Is  up  early.  I  know  what  you  are  going  to 
say." 

The  princess  spoke  with  something  akin  to  petu- 
lance, and  being  adroit  in  danger  signs,  Captain 
Paulo  held  his  tongue  expectantly.  The  captain 
of  a  royal  household  guard  has  to  be  something 
of  a  diplomat  if  he  wishes  to  continue  in  his  billet. 
The  princess  walked  across  the  room  and  looked 
absently  out  at  the  lawn  for  a  moment,  then, 
glancing  over  her  shoulder  to  make  certain  that 
they  were  alone,  asked  him  a  question. 

"What  took  place  in  the  palace  yesterday,  after 
I  left  the  room?" 

"Mr.  Kent  pointed  out  to  Provarsk's  men  the 
[128] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

folly  of  resistance  and  made  them  surrender 
their  arms,  after  delivering  them  a  homily  oit 
the  dangers  of  rebellion,  and  told  them  that  he 
would  then  appear  as  their  solicitor  before  th& 
king. ' ' 

'  *  Well  ?  Well  ? ' '  she  urged  him  when  he  paused 
1 '  What  was  done  with  them  ?  Where  are  they  now 
confined?" 

"They  are  not  confined  anywhere,  Your  Eoyal 
Highness." 

She  gave  a  start  of  astonishment,  as  if  incredu- 
lous. 

"At  Mr.  Kent's  suggestion,  His  Majesty 
granted  them  full  amnesty,  with  the  exception  of 
the  man  called  Ubaldo,  who  has  been  sent  to  prison 
on  an  indefinite  sentence.  After  that,  Mr.  Kent 
selected  a  few  of  the  most  likely  ones  that  he  said 
he  had  use  for,  and  suggested  that  the  others  be 
escorted  across  the  border.  He  also  suggested 
that  each  one's  picture  be  taken.  Said  he  thought 
this  would  serve  two  purposes,  one  to  identify 
them  for  hanging  if  they  ever  returned,  and  the 
other  because  he  thought  Marken  should  start  a 
rogues'  gallery  and  this  was  an  excellent  oppor- 
tunity to  lay  a  foundation." 

"Suggested!  He  suggested!  And  everything 
he  suggested  my  brother  did!  I  simply  cannot 
understand  this  situation.  How  on  earth  it  hap- 
pened that  my  brother  fell  so  suddenly  and  so 

[129] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

completely  under  the  influence  of  this  money- 
lender is  incomprehensible ! " 

Her  annoyance  was  unmistakable.  Captain 
Paulo  was  secretly  thankful  that  he  was  not  her 
brother  and  was  vastly  relieved  by  the  entry  of 
that  gentleman  in  person.  By  the  troubled  frown 
on  the  king's  brows  the  young  officer  decided  that 
every  word  of  the  princess*  last  and  captious 
speech  had  been  overheard. 

"You  may  go,  Captain  Paulo,"  the  king  said, 
mgnificantly,  and  the  young  officer  saluted  and 
discreetly  retired,  glad  that  he  was  not  in  the 
king's  shoes. 

"Eloise,"  the  king  remonstrated,  with  an  at- 
tempt at  severity,  "I  am  sorry  to  say  that  I  heard 
what  you  said  to  the  captain.  Does  it  seem  quite 
fitting  that  you  should  discuss  our  affairs 
with " 

"Why  not!"  she  retorted,  coolly.  "It's  time 
it  was  discussed  with  some  one  on  whom  I  can 
depend,  isn't  it?  If  I  don't,  I'm  afraid  this  man 
Kent  will  be  running  the  kingdom  as  he  pleases 
before  long." 

The  king  winced  and  lost  his  air  of  admonish- 
ment. He  knew,  from  past  experience,  that  this 
sister  of  his  dealt  in  very  plain  truths.  Sometimes 
they  were  highly  unpleasant.  Anger  at  his  own 
impotence  caused  him  to  rush  to  Kent's  defence. 
Moreover,  he  was  filled  with  great  respect  for  his 
[130] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

new    ally's   rough-and-ready   method    of    doing 
things,  that  so  far  invariably  had  been  successful. 

* '  Why  should  you  ob j  ect  V '  he  asked.  * t  Has  he 
not  proved  himself  a  stronger  and  a  better  advisor 
than  I  ever  had  before?" 

"But  there  comes  a  time  when  advice  assumes 
domination!  It  looks  to  me  as  if  his  suggestions 
were  assuming  the  nature  of  orders." 

"Well,  what  of  it?"  he  retorted,  goaded  by  the 
knowledge  that  she  had  put  her  finger  on  the 
truth.  "You  wouldn't  have  me  decline  to  do  as 
he  suggests  when  I  can  see  for  myself  that  those 
suggestions  are  exactly  the  right  course  to  fol- 
low?" 

"But  isn't  it  time  that  he  were  given  to  under- 
stand  " 

"My  dear  sister,"  he  exclaimed,  as  another 
loophole  presented  itself  offering  escape  from  this 
unpleasant  interview,  "can't  you  see  further  than 
that?  How  do  you  suppose  this  dynasty  is  to 
maintain  itself  without  financial  support?  Can't 
you  fix  it  plainly  in  your  mind  that  John  Rhodes, 
whose  agent  Mr.  Kent  is,  could  practically  ruin 
Marken  if  he  chose?" 

"Oh!  Those  bonds  again?  I  thought  so.  Well, 
do  you  know  what  I  would  do  if  I  were  the  king? 
I  would  calmly  notify  this  fearsome  Mr.  John 
Bhodes  that  I  wasn't  ready  to  pay  his  bonds,  and 
that  ne  could  wait  until  I  did  get  well  ready!" 

[131] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

"Is  that  Her  Eoyal  Highness*  conception  of 
honour  in  financial  undertakings?'*  questioned  a 
dry  voice  behind  them,  and  they  turned  to  observe 
Kent  standing  quietly  in  the  doorway. 

"I  didn't  hear  any  one  announce  you,"  she 
said,  nettled  by  his  unexpected  interruption. 

"No,"  he  replied,  affably,  "I  don't  suppose  you 
did.  As  an  admission,  I  will  say  that  I'm  so  un- 
used to  court  affairs,  and  dwelling  with  royalty, 
and  the  presence  of  superiority,  that  I  have  not 
yet  learned  all  that  is  expected  of  one  under  such, 
circumstances.  In  many  ways  I'm  what  we  call, 
over  home,  a  Rube.  But  now  that  I  am  here,  I 
don't  remember  that  you  answered  my  question." 

His  eyes  met  hers  unflinchingly,  insistently. 
She  wondered  if  there  was  not  a  little  of  scorn  in 
them;  tolerant,  but,  just  the  same,  scorn  such  as 
one  bestows  upon  those  guilty  of  moral  delin- 
quency. She  was  driven  to  defence. 

"I  feel  no  compulsion  to  answer  the  questions 
of  one  who  is  merely  a  financial  agent,"  she  re- 
torted, "but  since  you  have  wilfully  tried  to  mis- 
construe my  meaning,  I  will  explain  that  there  are 
occasions  when,  of  necessity,  one  is  forced  to  adopt 
measures  that  under  other  conditions  would  not 
be  at  all  considered.  This  is  one  of  them.  The 
dignity  of  royalty  must  be  maintained." 

"The  dignity  of  royalty — must  be  maintained, 
even  by  the  repudiation  of  its  honest  debts!  You 
[132] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

are  now  quite  explicit.  I  did  not  see  your  at- 
titude before." 

Under  this  sirocco  of  sarcasm  she  withered; 
but  still  fighting  for  her  standard  replied,  hotly, 
"You  deliberately  misapply  my  words." 

"Motives,"  he  corrected,  unmoved. 

It  was  too  much !  She  felt  like  a  schoolgirl  be- 
ing quietly  admonished  by  a  head  master. 

"Since  you  are  so  exact,"  she  remarked,  petu- 
lantly, "perhaps  you  will  try  to  make  me  see 
that  your  motives  in  assisting  us  as  you  have,  and 
we  recognise  that  service,  too,  are  entirely  un- 
prejudiced? That  you  are  here  as  a  philanthro- 
pist giving  service  to  our  house,  one  that  you  have 
never  known!  That  you  are  not  here  because 
you  want  to  save  that  person  Rhodes,  for  whom 
you  work,  his  money." 

"That  last  may  be  so,"  he  declared,  patiently. 
"I  am  here  to  save  John  Rhodes'  money.  Do  you 
believe  that  a  kingdom,  any  more  than  an  indi- 
vidual, can  advance  itself  without  money?" 

"Honour  is  better  than  money,"  she  asserted. 

"It  seems  to  me  that  I've  heard  that  before," 
he  said,  smiling.  "I  didn't  know  that  was  in  your 
copy  books,  also.  Since  you  are  intent  on  fighting 
me,  suppose  you  draw  the  line  for  me  by  telling 
where  honour  begins  after  one  has  practically 
abrogated  one's  debts.  I  am  interested,  Mademoi- 
selle. I  would  know  the  ideas  of  royalty  in  those 

[133] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MR.  KENT 

matters.  You  see,  as  I  have  confessed,  being  an 
American,  I  have  never  before  been  a  sort  of  mem- 
ber of  a  king's  household.'* 

A  slow,  patient  smile  spread  over  his  ingenuous 
face  as  he  looked  at  her,  and  she,  more  than 
ever  angered  at  the  strange  sense  of  power  that 
this  man  exhaled,  felt  herself  again  worsted  in 
the  tilt  and  in  proportion  hated  herself  for  her 
weakness.  She  felt  that  it  was  unbecoming  to  her 
dignity  of  position,  that  had  perforce  commanded 
respect,  to  her  beauty,  that  had  brought  leaders  of 
her  own  class  to  her  feet,  to  stand  meekly  and 
in  a  ridiculous  light  before  this  scoffer  from  an 
alien  land.  She  had  regarded  America  as  a  great 
blatant  nation,  without  historical  precedent,  ruled 
by  an  official  known  as  a  president,  who,  while  in 
power,  must  be  tolerated  and  addressed  patron- 
isingly,  and  promptly  forgotten  and  ignored  after 
his  departure  from  office.  Marken  was,  after  all, 
its  superior.  It  was  a  kingdom!  Ruled  by  those 
whose  ancestors  had  ruled  it  for  hundreds  of 
years !  A  king,  no  matter  what  his  personal  habits 
or  strength,  must  as  a  matter  of  course  be  far 
greater,  and  of  an  entirely  superior  mould  to  a 
mere  accident  of  popularity  thrust  into  power 
by  an  impossible  people.  Once  some  one  had  told 
her,  laughingly,  that  the  kingdom  of  Marken  was 
not  so  important  in  the  world's  affairs  as  New 
York,  and  she,  a  school  girl,  had  felt  highly  in- 
[134] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MR.  KENT 

suited  and  looked  that  place  up  in  a  geography  to 
learn  whether  such  a  name  was  really  on  the  map. 
She  felt  peculiarly  powerless  to  express  to  this 
American  her  real  estimation  of  him.  She  did 
as  other  royal  personages  have  done  before  and 
will  do  again,  affected  a  vast  loftiness  and  supe- 
riority in  lieu  of  other  answer.  She  lifted  her  head 
and,  with  a  gesture  of  indifference,  walked  toward 
the  door.  He  did  not  seem  at  all  overawed,  or 
impressed.  Indeed,  it  was  more  as  if  he  were 
inwardly  amused,  yet  desirous  of  parting  friends 
for  future  needs.  He  dared  to  bar  her  way,  and 
to  stand  in  front  of  her  with  his  hands  holding 
the  hangings  on  either  side. 

"Come,"  he  said,  "you  are  wrong.  It  is  you 
who  do  not  understand ;  and  understanding  is  nec- 
essary. I've  come  here  to  make  good.  I'm  going 
to  do  it!" 

A  strange  jargon  this.  And  she  found  herself 
pondering  its  meaning  and  usage. 

"You  needn't  trouble  to  answer,"  he  continued 
when  she  hesitated  in  a  bewildered  study.  "But 
I'll  tell  you  something  before  you  go.  It  is  not 
yours  to  play  the  part  of  an  obstructionist  to  your 
brother's  hopes  and  ideals,  if  you  love  him  as  a 
sister  should.  I  don't  know  it,  but  I  presume  that 
it  is  permitted  for  the  sister  of  a  king  to  love  her 
brother  and  advance  his  interests — maybe  not. 
If  so,  kings  and  princesses  should  never  be  broth- 

[135] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

ers  and  sisters.  Anyway,  it's  going  to  be  a  lot 
easier  for  me  to — to  get  John  Rhodes'  money — ' 
she  could  scarcely  account  for  the  strange  sarcasm 
in  his  tone — "and  incidentally  to  help  your 
brother,  if  we  act  as  friends.  Come,  will  you  not 
act  as  our  ally  in  this  troublesome  undertaking?" 

She  was  strangely  and  unreasonably  moved  by 
his  appeal;  for  appeal  it  was,  his  mellow  voice 
hastening  to  his  will,  and  his  thoughtful,  searching 
eyes  fixing  themselves  questioningly  upon  her 
face. 

" Unity  of  action  is  necessary  to  success,"  he 
added,  while  she  stood  before  him,  waiting  for  him 
to  stand  aside. 

For  quite  a  time  they  confronted  each  other, 
he  with  his  hand  outstretched,  as  if  inviting  her 
compact,  and  then  slowly  his  look  shifted  and  lost 
all  its  warmth,  and  veiled  itself,  and  his  lips 
straightened  to  a  harsh,  obdurate  line.  He  bowed 
and  stepped  to  one  side,  beckoning  with  uncon- 
scious grace  toward  the  open  door.  She  knew  that 
he  was  wounded  by  her  refusal,  and  she  was  no 
longer  aggressive.  She  fought  an  impulse  to  put 
her  hand  in  his  and  become,  after  this  relinquish- 
ment,  his  faithful  partner  in  the  enterprise;  but 
that  meant,  she  knew,  that  she  must  become,  as  her 
brother  threatened  to  become,  his  subordinate,  a 
position  against  which,  by  training  and  heredity, 
she  rebelled.  "Without  looking  back,  neither  dis- 
[136] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

dainful,  haughty,  nor  yet  subdued,  she  passed 
through  the  door  and  away.  For  an  instant  his 
face  was  grave  and  hurt,  and  then,  as  if  arousing 
himself  to  his  task,  an  inexorable  master  of  him- 
self as  well  as  of  others,  his  face  again  hardened 
and  he  walked  toward  the  king,  who,  throughout 
the  interview,  had  stood  with  his  back  toward  the 
room,  as  if  politely  leaving  the  situation  to  adjust 
itself. 

Kent  put  his  hands  in  his  pockets,  frowned  re- 
flectively, and  said  as  brusquely  as  if  addressing 
an  office  boy,  "Please  summon  Von  Glutz  and  have 
Captain  Paulo  and  Ivan  brought  here  at  orice." 

And  like  an  office  boy  the  king  obeyed.  He 
stepped  to  an  electric  button  and  pressed  it,  after 
which  he  stared  at  Kent,  who  stood  lost  in  thought. 
Von  Glutz  was  the  first  to  enter.  He  bowed  deeply 
to  the  king  and  with  marked  respect  to  the 
American. 

"Sit  down,  Baron.  Make  yourself  at  home," 
Kent  said,  careless  of  royal  etiquette,  and  the 
chancellor,  disturbed  by  this  invitation,  looked 
at  the  king  beseechingly. 

"Certainly,  Baron.  Sit  down,"  said  the  king, 
smiling  a  little  at  the  strangeness  of  their  posi- 
tions. 

Captain  Paulo  appeared  and  at  him  Kent  smiled 
and  nodded,  and  immediately  afterward  the  giant 

[137] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

stood  in  the  doorway  with  his  eyes  fixed  on  Kent's 
lips. 

"Ivan,  did  yon  serve  the  Baron  Provarsk  in 
person,  this  morning  ?"  the  financier  asked. 

"Yes,  sir." 

"Ah!  How  did  the  baron  appear?  Eesigned? 
Cheerful  ?  Or  grumpy  and  discomfited  ? ' ' 

Ivan  grinned  widely. 

"I  am  not  certain,  sir,  but  I  think  that  when 
I  entered  he  was  whistling.  Eesigned?  Perhaps. 
Discomfited?  Not  at  all.  Certainly  he  did  not 
seem  out  of  spirits.  Indeed,  he  was  rather  gay. 
He  asked  me  if  I  had  ever  seen  a  blindfolded  dog 
with  a  wooden  leg  playing  football  with  a  one- 
eyed  pig,  and  when  I  said  'No,'  declared  that  he 
was  rather  astonished,  because  he  understood  one 
could  see  almost  anything  in  America. 

' '  Good !  He'll  do,  all  right ! ' '  Kent  exclaimed. 

His  lips  opened  as  if  to  give  a  command,  and 
then,  observing  Captain  Paulo,  he  turned  toward 
the  king  respectfully  and  said,  "If  it  meets  with 
your  approval,  sir,  can  we  not  have  the  insurgent 
brought  here?" 

The  king,  appreciating  Kent's  constant  care  to 
avoid  humiliating  him  in  the  presence  of  any  of 
his  people,  gave  Captain  Paulo  the  order,  and 
the  latter  disappeared  with  alacrity.  The  chan- 
cellor, who,  plainly  ill  at  ease,  had  shifted  and 
rolled  himself  restlessly  from  one  side  to  the 
[138] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

other,  seized  the  opportunity  to  stand  up,  looking 
an  apology  at  the  king;  but  the  king,  evidently 
good  humoured  and  curious,  was  watching  the 
American.  He  could  not  repress  a  scowl,  however, 
when  Provarsk  was  ushered  in  with  two  sentries 
in  front,  two  behind,  and  Captain  Paulo  bringing 
up  the  rear.  The  sentries  saluted  the  king  and 
stepped  to  one  side. 

"You  will  stand  guard  outside  with  your  men," 
the  king  directed  Paulo. 

Kent  gestured  Ivan  to  guard  the  door  from  the 
inside. 

"Good  morning,  Cousin,  and  everybody  else, 
Americans  included,'*  blithely  saluted  Provarsk. 
"Nice  weather,  isn't  it — ah — after  the  storm! " 

Kent  was  the  only  one  who  seemed  to  enjoy 
his  humour.  The  king  turned  his  back,  walked  to 
a  chair  and  seated  himself.  For  nearly  a  minute, 
in  the  silence  of  the  room,  Kent  studied  Provarsk 's 
face. 

"Well,  Provarsk,"  he  said,  genially,  "my  bluff 
seems  the  best  of  the  lot,  doesn't  it?" 

"Evidently!"  quite  freely  agreed  Provarsk. 
"Only,  of  course,  I  don't  as  yet  know  just  how 
badly  I  am  let  in." 

"You'll  find  that  out,  soon  enough.  One  usually 
does,  you  know,"  was  Kent's  response.  "I  be- 
lieve His  Majesty  gives  you  permission  to  sit." 

"I  do,"  said  the  king,  carelessly,  and  Provarsk 

[139] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

smiled  and  seated  himself  after  an  ostentatious 
and  exasperating  grin  at  the  chancellor,  who 
promptly  turned  purple  with  rage. 

"You  will  pardon  me,"  said  Kent,  drily,  as  he 
pulled  a  chair  into  a  position  where  he  could  di- 
rectly face  Provarsk,  "if  in  our  conversation  I 
seem  to  be  assuming;  but  His  Majesty  has  gra- 
ciously granted  me  certain  privileges  of  speech 
and  action  which  he  will  sanction.  Is  that  not 
true,  Sire?" 

The  king,  reverting  to  that  strange,  curious  look 
of  expectancy,  said  it  was,  and  Provarsk  shielded 
his  mouth  with  his  finger  tips  as  if  to  conceal  a 
smile. 

"Provarsk,"  said  Kent,  decisively,  "you're 
whipped;  all  the  way  down  the  line." 

"For  the  moment,  yes,  I  suppose,"  the  usurper 
admitted,  gracefully.  He  smiled  at  the  American 
in  rather  an  amused,  friendly  way. 

"The  king  has  decided,"  continued  Kent,  pla- 
cidly, "that  you  are  a  man  of  some  talent,  and  has 
therefore  concluded  to  make  none  other  than  you 
chancellor  of  his  kingdom." 

For  once  Provarsk  was  so  completely  surprised 
that  his  looks  betrayed  him.  He  leaned  forward 
in  his  chair  and  stared  at  the  American,  doubt- 
fully. Baron  Von  Glutz  cleared  his  throat  ex- 
plosively, and  was  nearly  speechless  with  wrath. 

"This  is  going  too  far!"  he  exclaimed;  but  was 
[140] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

silenced  by  Kent,  who  turned  toward  him  and 
said,  " Steady!  Steady,  Baron.  You  needn't 
worry.  You  will  be  cared  for  later  in  this — this- 
reconstruction." 

"But — but — "  hesitated  the  king,  vastly  dis- 
tressed, "Baron  Von  Glutz  has  been  my  mentor 
since  my  boyhood,  and  was  the  chancellor  of 
Marken  under  my  father ! ' ' 

"Doubtless  his  administrative  excellence  ac- 
counts for  Marken's  present  peaceful  condition; 
and  also  for  our  unexpected  meeting  across  the 
border,  then!"  Kent  said,  suavely.  "But  as  I 
understood  you,  sir " 

Provarsk  interrupted  with  a  sneering  laugh  and 
exclaimed,  "Pshaw!  I  might  have  known  it.  It  is 
you  who  ask  me  to  be  chancellor,  Eh?  All  right! 
I  accept.  Under  you ;  but  not  under  His  Majesty.. 
But  pray  tell  me  why  I  am  thus  honoured?" 

"Honoured?  Well,  for  several  reasons.  One 
that  it's  not  so  messy  as  to  have  you  taken  out 
and  hanged.  Another  that  you  still  represent  to 
me  a  sporting  proposition  and  I  like  fearless  men 
who  go  out  after  a  thing  when  they  want  it.  It's 
been  a  long  time  since  I  have  met  such  an  interest- 
ing sort  of  a  personage  as  you  seem  to  be,  and,  in- 
asmuch  as  His  Majesty  wants  me  to  remain  with 
him  for  a  time  as  an  advisor,  I'd  like  to  see  what 
you  can  do — whether  you  can  get  the  best  of  us."1 

[141] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

"I  promise  to  do  the  very  best  I  can  to  get  the 
best  of  you,"  Provarsk  asserted. 

' '  I  like  that,  too, ' '  Kent  said,  heartily.  * '  You  're 
welcome  to  get  away  with  all  you  can;  with  this 
understanding,  that  you  must  agree  to  accept  and 
honestly  carry  out  all  orders  given  you.  Other- 
wise  " 

"Otherwise  what?"  queried  the  baron,  when  the 
American  hesitated. 

* l  Otherwise  we  '11  have  you  promptly  shot.  Also, 
you  are  'honoured,'  as  you  put  it,  because  I  be- 
lieve you  are  a  good  enough  gamester,  once  having 
given  your  word,  to  obey  orders." 

Provarsk  studied  Kent,  wonderingly,  while  the 
latter,  without  a  change  of  expression,  stared  back 
at  him. 

"You  don't  want  to  be  bothered  hanging  or 
shooting  me,  now;  you  think  I'm  too  dangerous  to 
exile ;  and  you  therefore  prefer  to  keep  me  directly 
under  your  eye.  So  you  appoint  me  chancellor! 
Bather  clever,  it  strikes  me." 

Kent  nodded  and  smiled. 

"You  have  it,"  he  said. 

"All  right,  Mr.  Eichard  Kent,  I  accept  this 
chancellorship,  and  agree  to  obey  all  of  your  or- 
ders— or  should  I  say  His  Majesty's? — with  just 
one  provision,  which  is  that  after  one  year 's  serv- 
ice I  have  the  privilege  of  resigning  and  walking 
away,  scot  free,  whenever  I  choose  to  do  so." 
[142] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MR.  KENT 

"Quite  a  nice  agreement!  A  very  pleasant 
agreement,  indeed!"  Kent  assented.  "We  will 
now  have  an  interview  with  Captain  Paulo. " 

He  gave  Ivan  the  order,  speaking  loudly,  as 
though  to  impress  on  the  new  chancellor  that  his 
man  was  a  trifle  hard  of  hearing,  and  in  a  moment 
Captain  Paulo  stood  before  them. 

"Captain  Paulo,"  said  Kent,  "His  Majesty,  the 
king,  has  graciously  delegated  me  to  reorganise 
the  cabinet  of  Marken,  and,  because  of  your 
fidelity,  you  are  now  appointed  Minister  of  the 
Treasury." 

Paulo  stood  with  a  look  of  astonishment  on  his 
face.  It  was  an  advancement  that  he  had  never 
thought  of.  Truly  there  must  have  been  some 
foundation  for  the  Arabian  Nights.  For  once  the 
king  was  not  disturbed  by  the  American's  plans, 
and  began  ta  wonder  if,  after  all,  there  was  not 
some  method  in  this  new  form  of  madness, 

"Those  are  my  wishes,  Captain  Paulo,"  said  he. 

Kent  bowed  his  head  gravely  to  the  new  Min- 
ister of  the  Treasury. 

"Permit  me  to  introduce  the  new  Chancellor 
of  the  realm,  Baron  Provarsk." 

Paulo  found  it  difficult  to  bow;  but  by  desperate 
effort  did  so.  Provarsk  acknowledged  this  def- 
erence to  his  position  by  an  airy,  "That's  all 
right,  Paulo.  Never  can  tell  what  your  luck 
may  be.  Perhaps  I'll  make  you  a  field  marshal 

[143] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

yet,"  a  piece  of  pleasantry  that  Kent  appreciated 
with  a  slight  smile,  and  which  the  king  plainly 
resented. 

"And  the  Baron  Provarsk  is  therefore  now  at 
liberty?"  queried  Paulo,  evidently  unable  to  grasp 
the  extraordinary  changes  that  had  taken  place. 

"My  goodness,  man!  Your  Excellency,  the 
Minister  of  the  Treasury,  does  not  suggest  that 
so  exalted  and  important  official  as  the  chancellor 
of  the  realm  should  be  pinched,  do  you?"  Kent 
asked,  with  unsmiling  lips. 

'  *  Why,  I  should  say  not ! ' '  exclaimed  Provarsk, 
with  a  great  assumption  of  dignity.  "I  couldn't 
think  of  such  a  thing!  I've  a  mind  to  ask  my 
cousin  to  instantly  remove  you  from  office!" 

"If  I  am  to  act  as  cabinet  minister "  began 

Paulo. 

"I  would  suggest  that  you  and  the  chancellor 
retire  to  the  anteroom,  and  come  to  an  amicable 
agreement  to  leave  each  other  alone,"  Kent  in- 
terrupted. "His  Majesty  expects  you  to  do  so. 
It  must  be  understood  that  all  previous  differ- 
ences have,  from  the  moment  of  His  Majesty's  ap- 
pointments, been  obliterated." 

Provarsk  arose  with  an  air  of  relief,  bowed 
deeply  to  the  king,  eyed  Kent  quizzically,  and  led 
the  way.  Paulo,  still  bewildered,  made  his  salutes 
and  followed  after,  leaving  the  American  with  his 
eyes  fixed  on  Von  Glutz,  who  had  steadily  drooped 
[144] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

and  wilted  into  an  effigy  of  injured  innocence,  n«t 
unlike  a  wilted  turnip. 

" Baron,"  Kent  began,  "all  this  may  appear  a 
trifle  strange  to  you;  but  I  have  reasons." 

"Does  it  not  seem  to  you,  Mr.  Kent,  that  you 
are  in  a  measure  taking  advantage  of  our  some- 
what singular  position?"  the  king  asked.  "I  am 
still  striving  to  keep  my  share  of  our  agreement; 
but  I  can  not  quite  grasp " 

"You  aren't  supposed  to  grasp  anything,  owing 
to  that  agreement,"  was  the  concise  retort.  "You 
were,  and  still  are,  in  a  passive  position.  It's  my 
job  to  pull  you  out.  I'm  probably  upsetting  a  lot 
of  precedents;  but  I  take  the  responsibility  for 
running  this  board  of  directors — pardon !  I  mean 
this  kingdom — in  my  own  way." 

Rebuffed,  the  king  met  Kent's  look,  and  then, 
reassured  by  the  intelligence  he  saw  there,  said, 
"I  am  sorry  to  have  interfered.  I  am  doing  the 
best  I  can  to  learn.  It  requires  some  patience, 
under  the  circumstances,  to " 

He  stopped,  the  confession  itself  being  difficult ; 
but  the  American  liked  him  for  his  outburst.  In- 
deed, he  decided  there  might  be  some  hope  for 
the  king,  properly  handled. 

"Our  ways  are  different,"  he  said,  less  aggres- 
sively. "Your  way  has  been  tried  and  failed. 
Therefore  mine  can  be  no  worse." 

He  faced  Von  Glutz  again,  and  was  about  to 

[145] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

speak,  when,  as  if  it  were  her  particular  mission 
in  life  to  interfere,  the  Princess  Eloise  came  hur- 
riedly into  the  room,  again  with  full  danger  sig- 
nals flying. 

"Karl,"  she  asked,  "is  it  true,  as  Provarsk  just 
now  informed  me,  in  the  ante-room,  that  you  have 
appointed  him  chancellor  of  Marken?" 

"It  is  true,"  the  king  replied. 

"Then,"  she  declared  stormily,  "I  suppose  this 
outrage  is  also  due  to  the  sage  advice  of  your 
new  friend,  Mr.  Kent?  Are  you  still  the  king  of 
Marken,  may  I  ask?  Or  are  you  a  marionette 
pulled  by  a  string?  Have  you  gone  mad?  Have 
you  no  spirit  left?" 

Exasperated  by  her  return  as  well  as  by  the 
contempt  that  had  so  deftly  conveyed  itself  in  th» 
selection  of  her  words,  the  king  forgot  his  promise 
of  secrecy  to  the  American. 

"Eloise,"  he  replied,  desperately,  "sheer 
force  of  circumstances  have  for  the  time  being 
drawn  me  into  a  pact  with  Mr.  Kent,  by  which  he 
is  to  have  the  controlling  voice  in  the  affairs  of  the 
kingdom.  You  forget  that  without  his  efforts  we 
should  scarcely  be  here  now.  So  far  he  has 
proven " 

"Why  doesn't  he  have  himself  crowned?" 

The  king  did  not  answer.  Kent  was  amused. 
She  stared  at  him  as  he  sat  noiselessly  drumming 
his  fingers  on  the  arm  of  his  chair,  entirely  self- 
[1461 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

possessed,  and  apparently  indifferent  to  anything 
she  might  say. 

"I  suppose  it  was  you,  then,  who  appointed  our 
enemy  Provarsk  to  the  position  of  chancellor?" 
she  said. 

"The  king  appoints.  I  merely  advise,"  he  re- 
plied, with  a  smile  in  the  corners  of  his  eyes  that 
stretched  slowly  downward  until  it  created  circum- 
flex wrinkles  around  his  firm  lips. 

"What  is  to  become  of  Baron  Von  Glutz?"  she 
demanded,  directly  to  the  point. 

The  American  slowly  moved  his  head  in  the 
baron's  direction  and  assumed  a  deep  study  of 
that  person  that  caused  the  latter  to  squirm,  puff 
his  cheeks,  and  adopt  the  habitual  recourse  of 
tugging  at  his  moustache. 

"Do  you  know,"  replied  Kent  slowly,  "that 
is  the  question  which  has  bothered  me  a  whole 
lot.  I've  given  considerable  thought  to  him  and 
— er — I  hardly  know  what  to  do  with  him.  At 
first  I  thought  of  appointing  him  the  king's  dog- 
catcher.  Then,  observing  something  faintly  sug- 
gesting a  military  character,  a  regular  fighting 
general  behind  the  lines — a  long  way  behind — I 
concluded  that  he  might  make  a  good  minister  of 
war.  That  is  one  of  the  most  important  places 
in  every  kingdom  of  this  kind.  The  smaller  the 
army,  the  more  important  the  position.  There 

[147] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

is  such  a  billet  as  that  in  Marken,  isn't  there?" 
he  concluded  in  a  bland  tone  of  inquiry. 

Von  Glutz  was  the  first  to  recover  from  this 
attack. 

"When  one  has  been  a  chancellor,  it  is  rather 
difficult  to  step  back  to  a  portfolio,"  he  protested. 

"Then  why  not  step  out  into  private  life?" 
retorted  Kent,  and  added  with  great  enthusiasm : 
"It  would  be  such  a  change  for  you!  By  Jove! 
That's  the  very  thing!  Become  a  plain  citizen! 
All  sorts  of  things  to  do.  Opportunities  to  criti- 
cise the  government.  Tell  admiring  friends  what 
you  would  have  done  if  you  had  been  chancellor. 
Point  out  the  incumbent's  mistakes.  Get  a  lot  of 
figures  together  to  show  wasteful  extravagance  in 
expenditures.  Tariff  reform.  Income  tax. 
Workingman's  friend.  Poor  girls'  benefactor.  Be 
a  Cromwell,  and  get  the  power  of  a  king  by  having 
His  Majesty's  head  cut  off.  Or  a  Bismarck,  freely 
lieing,  breaking  all  covenants,  and  have  yourself 
made  a  prince.  Sort  of  fellow-citizen,  friend-of- 
the-people,  Napoleon,  and  clap  the  crown  on  your 
bald  head.  You  might  even  Cookize,  and  discover 
a  new  North  pole.  Say!  If  you've  been  a  good 
chancellor,  why  did  the  hen  cross  the  road!  Why 
was  Provarsk?" 

He  paused  with  mock  earnestness,  waiting  def- 
erentially for  a  reply. 

"You  don't  answer,"  he  continued,  and  again 
[148] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

that  subtle  change  that  distinguished  him  was  ap- 
parent. 1 1  Baron  Von  Glutz,  I  respect  you  for  be- 
ing an  honest  man,  and  a  faithful  one.  But  there 
has  been  a  task  that  you  could  not  grasp.  There 
are  many  different  kinds  of  brains  in  this  world. 
Yours  was  not  the  kind  for  the  place.  This  one 
requires  a  callosity  that  you  don't  possess.  You 
can't  cheat,  or  dissimulate.  You  can't  bluff.  You 
were  not  a  good  chancellor.  So  I've  made  you 
Minister  of  War.  Do  you  want  the  place?" 

The  baron  gave  a  heavy  sigh,  and  looked  doubt- 
ful. Apprehensive  lest  he  decline  the  proffered 
portfolio,  the  princess  hastened  to  urge  his  accept- 
ance. 

* '  Since  there  seems  no  way  of  disregarding  our 
new  advisor 's  wishes,  Baron  Von  Glutz,  I  ask  you 
in  my  own  behalf  to  accept.  If  you  should  retire 
to  private  life  you  would  leave  me  with  one  less 
friend  in  whom  I  can  confide.  There  is  none  left, 
now,  save  Paulo." 

The  American  did  not  dispute  her ;  but  the  king 
looked  at  her  strangely  and  said,  "That  is  unfair, 
Eloise." 

She  paid  no  attention  to  him  but  walked  across 
until  she  stood  by  the  baron's  side. 

"For  my  sake,  old  friend,"  she  appealed,  and 
Von  Glutz,  for  whom  Kent  was  secretly  rather 
sorry,  lifted  his  head  and  said,  "Very  well.  I 
accept. ' ' 

[149] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

"Good!"  said  Kent,  bluntly. 

He  waited,  as  if  expecting  the  princess  to  leave 
the  room;  but  she,  divining  his  wish,  stubbornly 
made  her  way  to  a  chair  and  seated  herself  with 
the  evident  intention  of  remaining  indefinitely. 
Observing  this,  Kent  smiled  slightly,  and  an- 
nounced himself. 

"Having  thus  come  so  easily  through  our  re- 
organisation, and  now  being  on  such  nice,  friendly 
terms  of  amity  and  unity, "  he  said,  "we  may  as 
well  get  down  to  business  and  understand  what 
we  propose  to  do.  I  have  studied  the  situation 
pretty  thoroughly.  First,  we  have  army  enough 
now  to  do  police  duty.  That  is  what  it  shall  do. 
Next,  we  shall  have  conscription. " 

His  hearers  gave  a  gasp  of  dismay. 

"The  trouble  with  a  large  majority  of  Marken- 
ites,"  he  went  on,  "is  that  they  are  lazy.  They 
don't  produce  enough.  Therefore  we  will  have 
conscription  for  labour,  and  compel  them  to  work 
whether  they  want  to  or  not.  If  they  don't  obey, 
we  confiscate  their  property  and  throw  them  out 
of  the  kingdom.  I'm  going  to  compel  every  man 
in  Marken  to  earn  more  money  than  he  ever  has 
hitherto!" 

His  voice  was  now  hard  and  emphatic,  and  he 
punctuated  his  declaration  by  rapping  the  table 
with  his  knuckles. 

"I'm  going  to  make  them  rich,  and  the  kingdom 
[150] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

rich,  whether  they  like  it  or  not.  When  a  country 
is  in  such  distress  as  this  kingdom  is,  it  needs  an 
autocrat  and,  by  Heavens !  it  has  one  now !  Those 
mines  shall  work  full  tilt,  and  this  government  is 
going  to  force  the  building  of  factories  and  en- 
courage industries.  The  kingdom  of  Marken  shall 
not  only  pay  its  debts,  but  while  doing  it,  shall 
learn  how  to  keep  out  of  debt." 

The  king  could  not  entirely  repress  a  look  of 
enthusiasm ;  but  the  princess  was  still  rebellious. 

"And  may  I  ask  what  role  the  modest  Mr.  Kent 
proposes  to  play  in  all  this  miraculous  work?"  she 
inquired. 

"I've  thought  of  that,  too,"  cheerfully  replied 
Mr.  Kent,  ignoring  the  inference  that  he  had  been 
boasting.  "Some  kings  have  officials  known  as 
'The  King's  Remembrancer, '  whose  job  it  is  to 
stand  at  the  king's  elbow  and  remind  him  of  what 
he  has  to  do.  I  shall  be  the  King's  Eemem- 
brancer  in  Marken,  Your  Royal  Highness. ' ' 


[151] 


CHAPTER  EIGHT 

JUST  prior  to  the  hour  of  the  matutinal  sausage 
in  Marken,  on  the  following  morning,  those 

who  strolled  sleepily  out  into  the  narrow 
streets  and  observed  that  the  sun  had  been  up 
several  hours,  found  a  topic  for  conversation. 
Notices  had  been  posted  in  the  night-time  on  the 
doorways  of  churches,  lamp  posts,  and  pillar 
boxes,  and  sometimes  over  the  billboards  where 
gay  posters  advised  people  to  use  Schmitt's  soap; 
to  feed  their  dogs  on  torox,  or  to  drink  that  most 
soothing  of  all  liqueurs,  Eon  Bacardi.  Languidly 
these  were  read  and  a  mild  flutter  ensued  that 
caused  many  to  forget — almost  to  forget — that 
the  sausage  hour  was  due. 

The  notices  were  printed  in  plain  white,  with 
plain  type,  and  plainly  stated  that  His  Gracious 
and  Benign  Majesty,  Karl  II,  King  of  Marken, 
by  Divine  Eight,  had,  in  the  interests  of  the  great 
kingdom,  seen  fit  to  exercise  his  august  preroga- 
tive of  forming  a  new  ministry,  in  the  confident 
belief  that  his  subjects  and  the  welfare  of  the  state 
would  thereby  be  benefited,  Baron  Matilda,  etc., 
etc.,  Provarsk  was  now  the  chancellor  of  the  realm, 
succeeding  Baron,  etc.,  etc.,  Von  Glutz. 

[152] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

"Ha!"  said  those  who  read,  gleefully.  "The 
old  pouter  pigeon  has  got  his  wings  clipped!" 
Or,  "Baron  Provarsk?  What  does  this  mean? 
Continually  he  has  tried  to  make  us  believe  that 
King  Karl  is  a  blunderer.  Now  he  sides  with  the 
king  and  becomes  chancellor.  Ayya !  Ahem !  We 
shall  see  what  kind  of  a  chancellor  this  high  and 
mighty  baron  makes!" 

Baron  Von  Glutz  now  Minister  of  War! 

At  that  they  laughed  a  little  and  expressed  pity 
for  the  few  score  men  who  formed  the  king's 
standing  army.  They  hoped  the  new  minister 
would  not  alter  the  uniforms,  because  those  new 
scarlet  tunics  and  white  trousers,  pricked  out  with 
profuse  gold  braidings,  were  very  effective. 

Captain  Philidor  Paulo  to  be  Minister  of  the 
Treasury. 

"Well!  Well!  Well!  That's  something.  The 
common  people  are  at  last  beginning  to  be  recog- 
nised ! ' '  They  were  flattered.  They  remembered, 
some  of  them,  what  a  merry  lad  he  was  when  his 
widowed  mother  conducted  the  charcuterie  in  the 
Alley  of  the  Capuchins.  Pity  she  had  not  lived 
to  see  her  son  a  cabinet  minister !  What  a  lot  of 
money  he  would  have  to  count.  He  always  was 
good  at  counting,  stoutly  asserted  some  of  the 
old  dames  who  had  watched  his  growth. 

They  discussed  it  vigorously  while  eating.  They 
had  placid  disputes  about  it  after  the  shops 

[153] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

opened;  but  they  forgot  it  by  bed-time.  Affairs 
couldn't  be  worse  than  they  had  been,  they  de- 
cided, with  that  remarkable  phlegm  which  has 
ever  been  Marken's  most  distinguishing  trait,  and 
let  it  go  at  that. 

On  the  following  day  the  shops  had  nice  pic- 
tures of  the  new  chancellor  for  sale,  all  of  which 
had  been  left  by  a  giant,  "on  commission,"  who 
was  voted  a  queer  sort  of  chap,  inasmuch  as  some- 
times he  failed  to  hear,  or  at  least  declined  to 
answer.  This  gave  them  cause  for  gossip,  it  being 
an  innovation  to  thus  advertise  the  face  of  the 
chancellor.  They  did  not  know  that  a  more  mys- 
tified person  was  the  chancellor  himself,  who 
speculated  vainly  on  what  the  fertile-brained 
King's  Eemembrancer  could  have  "up  his  sleeve" 
in  this  latest  divertissement,  and  not  in  the  least 
suspecting  that  it  was  for  the  purpose  of  making 
his  features  so  widely  known  that  he  could  never 
run  away. 

The  Court  Gazette,  that  highly  aloof  official 
organ  whose  smallest  paragraph  was  read  with 
awe,  proved  the  next  distraction.  It  intimated 
that  great  changes  were  about  to  take  place  in 
the  administration  of  the  kingdom,  all  of  which 
would  tend  to  the  aggrandisement  of  Marken,  and 
would  probably  bring  it  into  the  rank  of  First 
Powers  of  the  world;  whatever  that  might  be. 
Elderly  gentlemen  wagged  their  heads  sagely, 
[154] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MR.  KENT 

and  younger  ones  unconsciously  swelled  their 
chests  as  duly  becomes  citizens  of  one  of  the 
" Great  Powers.'*  The  cautious  ones  hoped  that 
Marken  was  not  going  to  plunge  the  world  into  a 
war  of  conquest,  and  a  village  oracle  who  had  once 
seen  the  Adriatic  sea  and  declared  that  it  was 
impossible  to  see  across  it  because  there  was  so 
much  water,  and  who  had  for  twenty  years  been 
discredited  therefor  as  a  notorious  liar,  arose 
again  to  prominence  and  sagely  declared  that 
he  believed,  after  long  deliberation,  that  Marken 
was  about  to  have  a  navy  of  its  own. 

Then,  after  a  week's  excited  argument,  there 
appeared  that  memorable  state  announcement 
that  it  was  the  duty  of  all  to  support  the  state  and 
that  at  the  places  named,  on  the  dates  named,  all 
able-bodied  citizens  of  both  sexes  would  appear 
and  register  themselves;  that  failure  to  do  so 
would  be  punished  by  fines,  imprisonment,  con- 
fiscation of  property  and  various  other  humilia- 
tions. Also,  God  save  the  King!  And  this  mani- 
festo was  signed  by  the  new  chancellor !  This  was 
carrying  it  too  far !  The  idea  of  expecting  people 
to  do  something  for  the  state!  Why,  who  ever 
heard  of  such  a  thing!  Of  course  anything  done 
for  the  state  was  wasted  time.  Didn't  they  pay 
taxes?  Wasn't  that  enough?  Things  were  com- 
ing to  a  pretty  pass.  Anyway,  two  weeks  must 
elapse  before  the  new  conscription  measures  be- 

[155] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

came  effective,  and  this,  they  decided,  was  ample 
time  to  consider  so  startling  an  innovation. 

And  innovation  had  been  made  in  the  palace  it- 
self, unknown  to  the  placid,  indolent  citizens  of 
the  quaint  old  city  that  flowed  in  haphazard  angles 
below  the  palace  hill.  The  American,  after  effect- 
ing the  organisation  of  the  new  cabinet,  was  the 
cause. 

"Thank  you  for  the  invitation  to  make  your 
palace  my  home,  sir,"  he  said  to  the  king  on  Hia 
Majesty's  formal  re-entry  into  his  ancestral  home. 

The  king,  astonished,  inasmuch  as  he  had  never 
conceived,  or  voiced,  any  such  invitation,  answered 
with  a  whimsical  smile  not  too  unlike  Kent's  own, 
" Oh,  it's  nothing!  Nothing  at  all,  Mr.  Kent.  It 
was  thoughtful  of  me,  wasn't  it?" 

"Very,"  replied  the  new  guest.  "It  was  very 
kind  of  you,  also,  to  suggest  that  inasmuch  as  a 
King's  Remembrancer  must  be  a  mighty  busy 
man,  because  a  king  has  so  much  to  think  about, 
that  I  should  select  such  rooms  of  the  palace  as 
would  serve  for  business  offices." 

Thus  he  seized  a  reception  room,  overlooking 
the  gardens,  and  a  smaller  room  that  was  meta- 
morphosed into  his  private  office,  and  in  a  third 
a  staff  of  bookkeepers  was  installed. 

"It  looks,"  said  the  king  to  Paulo,  whilst  mak- 
ing a  surreptitious  visit,  "like  a  bank.    What  on 
earth  can  so  many  bookkeepers  dof  " 
[156] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MR.  KENT 

"Opening  a  new  set  of  government  books,  Sire, 
under  the  direction  of  a  London  accountant  to 
whom  Mr.  Kent  telegraphed." 

The  king  looked  helpless  and  puzzled  and  said, 
"Weren't  the  old  ones — Ummh!" 

"Mr.  Kent  said  all  the  old  books  were  mere 
waste.  Said  he  would  put  the  accounts  of  Marken 
in  such  shape  that  he  could  tell  each  night  exactly 
where  the  kingdom  stood,  or  know  the  reason 
why." 

"Incredible!"  exclaimed  the  king.  "No  one 
ever  heard  of  such  a  thing." 

"That  is  what  Baron  Von  Glutz  told  Mr.  Kent." 

The  king  grinned  and  his  eyes  lighted  as  he 
asked  what  Mr.  Kent  had  replied. 

"Mr.  Kent  asked  the  baron  if  he  had  ever 
heard  that  in  America  there  were  now  large  and 
thriving  orchards  of  cheese  trees,  and  when  the 
baron  answered  that  he  had  not,  Mr.  Kent  said, 
'There  you  are!  You  see  there's  a  lot  of  things 
you  never  heard  of.  Every  child  in  America 
knows  as  well  about  the  cheese  tree  as  every  big 
corporation  knows  about  the  watermelon.  When- 
ever possible,  every  big  board  of  directors  in 
America  assembles  in  solemn  conclave  and  cuts 
one." 

The  king  looked  as  if  he  almost  believed  it;  but 
did  not  disclose  ignorance,  having  been  carefully 
instructed  on  this  point  when  a  crown  prince. 

[157] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

*'Mr.  Kent  has  retained  one  of  the  expert  ac- 
countants sent  him  from  London  as  his  private 
secretary,"  Paulo  added,  as  a  further  note  of 
interest  "He  speaks  our  tongue.  Also,  Ivan  has 
brought  all  their  personal  belongings  from  Stein- 
weg.  Mr.  Kent  has  also  bought  a  strange  sort  of 
clock  arrangement  that  he  compels  the  chancellor 
and  the  Minister  of  War  to  punch  in  a  curious 
fashion  whenever  they  enter  or  leave  their  offices. 
Mr.  Kent  said  he  was  thinking  of  getting  one  for 
Your  Majesty.  This  curious  device  registers  the 
time  when  one  comes  in  or  goes  out,  so  that  by 
referring  to  it,  Mr.  Kent  says  he  can  tell  whether 
they  are  doing  a  full  day's  work." 

His  Majesty  decided  that  it  was  time  for  him 
to  retire  to  his  own  part  of  the  palace.  Mr.  Kent 
seemed  to  be  doing  quite  a  lot  of  things.  Among 
others,  His  Majesty  learned  a  few  days  later,  waa 
the  reorganisation  of  the  working  plant  of  the 
mining  concession,  effected  by  a  distinguished  min- 
ing engineer  who  had  not  only  arrived  but  had 
telegraphed  for  new  machinery  that  was  to  be  in- 
stalled. Also  local  engineers  had  been  sent  to 
make  surveys  and  plans  for  electric  power  plants 
at  several  places  where  hitherto  some  noble  water- 
falls had  been  permitted  to  flow  as  nature  made 
them,  untrammelled  by  harness.  Quarries  owned 
and  long  neglected  by  the  crown  were  being  pre- 
pared for  reopening  on  large  scales,  and  the  king 
[158] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

was  further  surprised  when  it  was  publicly  an- 
nounced that  His  Majesty,  Karl  II,  was  heading 
a  scheme  for  the  utilisation  of  some  mineral 
springs,  and  would  from  state  funds  establish  a 
spa  that  it  was  hoped  would  be  second  to  none  in 
Europe,  where  gout,  rheumatism,  Bright 's  disease 
and  many  other  ailments  would  be  promptly  alle- 
viated, or  cured,  under  the  supervision  of  famous 
specialists.  The  king  wasn't  sure  that  he  liked 
it.  The  best  he  could  hope  for  was  that  Kent 
would  not  have  a  picture  of  the  king  and  His 
Majesty's  personal  guarantee  on  every  bottle  of 
water  exported.  And  in  the  meantime,  Mr.  Kent, 
cause  of  all  the  disturbance,  was  happier  than 
he  had  ever  been  in  his  life.  He  was  the  first  in 
his  office  in  the  morning,  and  the  last  to  leave  at 
night.  The  dignity  of  the  staid  old  palace  was 
being  rudely  shaken  by  constant  streams  of  those 
who  came  on  business,  were  received  by  the  square- 
jawed  man  who  always  explained  that  he  was 
merely  the  king's  mouthpiece  appointed  to  trans- 
act whatever  was  to  be  done  in  this  particular 

case,  etc.,  etc.,  and 

"Sit  down!  Did  you  bring  those  plans?  Well, 
skip  all  that!  What's  it  going  to  cost?  That's 
too  much.  Ought  to  be  shaved  by  twenty  per  cent. 
Take  those  estimates  back  and  go  over  them  again. 
No  use  in  your  trying  to  fool  the  king,  is  there? 
You  fellows  around  here  have  got  to  wake  up.  The 

[159] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

king  has  been  studying  over  this  affair,  and  knows 
what  it  ought  to  cost  just  about  as  well  as  you  do. 
Bring  the  new  figures  around  to-morrow  at  seven 
minutes  past  three  o'clock.  Good  day!" 

Like  a  Gatling  gun  that  voice  snapped  and 
boomed  all  day  long,  and  a  close  observer  might 
have  discovered  that  in  the  cafes  of  Marken  by 
night,  and  in  the  Market  Place  by  day,  men  began 
to  speak  of  the  king  with  something  more  than 
stupefaction,  something  bordering  on  fear  and 
respect.  ' '  Who  would  have  ever  thought  it  ? "  they 
muttered  and  wagged.  "No  one  ever  expected 
him  to  do  any  more  than  any  other  king  does!" 
And,  "Where  on  earth  would  he  get  workmen  for 
eo  many  enterprises?"  Pessimists  opined  that  the 
king  was  mad  and  the  kingdom  going  to  the  dogs. 

The  days  of  the  registration  passed  with  good- 
natured  tolerance.  It  was  fairly  good  sport,  the 
Markenites  thought,  quite  like  some  foolish  festi- 
val season.  But  why  was  it  that  when  they  regis- 
tered themselves  they  were  also  given  a  physical 
examination  and  issued  cards  of  different  colours 
stating  that  they  had  been  assigned  to  a  certain 
class?  It  certainly  did  indicate  that  the  king 
was  preparing  to  go  to  war,  and  was  therefore 
organising  all  his  resources.  The  citizens  of  the 
toy  capital  of  the  toy  kingdom  were  vastly  per- 
plexed, but  not  quite  alarmed. 

Secretly  the  new  chancellor  speculated  on  what 
[160] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MR.  KENT 

this  bold  alien  expected  of  him,  and  suspected  that 
the  sole  reason  why  he  was  compelled  to  keep  of- 
fice hours  was  that  a  watch  might  be  kept  over 
his  activities.  Secretly  the  new  minister  of  war 
fussed  and  fumed.  Secretly  the  king  began  to 
hope  for  the  best,  and  secretly  the  Princess  Eloise 
came  to  the  conclusion  that  there  were  some  char- 
acteristics of  the  redoubtable  Mr.  Kent  that  she 
could  not  understand.  Fight  as  she  would,  she 
had  to  admit  that  he  threatened  to  do  things,  ex- 
hibited no  slovenliness  of  mind,  and  she  could  not 
help  liking  him  for  that. 

And  then,  on  a  certain  day,  the  curiosity  of 
every  one  promised  to  be  satisfied.  Again  the 
public  announcements  appeared,  assembling  all 
of  classes  A,  B,  C,  and  F,  at  certain  central  points, 
notably  one  in  the  Market  Place  of  Marken,  and 
now  there  would  be  but  two  weeks  more  of  sus- 
pense. 


CHAPTER  NINE 

IT  was  the  morning  of  the  day  in  which  the 
announcements  were  to  be  made  to  the  citi- 
zens of  Marken  that  they  had  been  conscripted 
for  something  far  worse  than  war,  namely  work. 
Early  in  the  day,  as  Kent  had  foreseen,  Marken 
began  to  fill  not  only  with  those  of  the  classes 
called,  but  with  members  of  all  other  classes. 
Peasants,  chattering  volubly,  poured  into  the  capi- 
tal, some  on  foot,  others  in  carts,  and  all  gaily 
clad  in  their  best  garb.  There  was  an  expectant 
and  serious  air  pervading  everything,  the  people 
themselves,  the  quiet  old  palace,  the  very  trees 
of  the  streets  and  the  flowers  that  lent  colour  to 
window  sills  and  tiny  patches  of  open  gardens. 
The  American  was  early  at  his  desk,  and  was 
never  more  methodical  and  energetic.  This  he 
recognised  as  a  crisis.  People,  he  knew,  could  be 
asked  to  go  to  war  and  would  go  cheering ;  but  to 
ask  them  to  go  to  work  was  an  entirely  different 
and  more  serious  request.  They  might  rebel.  All 
that  foresight  could  suggest  had  been  done.  The 
standing  army,  the  first  and  second  reserves,  had 
all  been  called  out  and  posted  in  various  places 
[162] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

where  trouble  might  occur,  and  Baron  Von  Glutz, 
faithful  to  orders  and  ever  willing  to  do  his  best, 
had  puffed,  and  sweated,  and  bellowed  commands 
that  all  might  be  prepared  to  quell  disorder. 

Noon  was  the  hour  fixed,  but  already  the  town 
was  filled.  At  noon  they  were  to  be  told  the 
worst ! 

Kent,  referring  to  the  lists  on  his  littered  desk, 
was  jotting  down  figures,  with  an  air  of  satisfac- 
tion, as  if  to  reassure  himself  that  he  had  made 
no  mistakes  in  his  estimates. 

"A  and  B  to  the  mines,"  he  murmured.  "That 
fixes  them  up.  C  men  are  carpenters  and  brick 
and  stone  layers,  and  there's  enough  of  them  to 
care  for  all  constructions.  And  there  are  enough 
F  men,  all  machinists,  to  look  after  the  plants. 
Yes,  that  leaves  plenty  of  common  labourers  for 
the  quarries.  Must  call  them  up  next." 

From  the  window  overlooking  the  palace  gar- 
dens came  the  voice  of  Ivan:  "The  chancellor 
and  his  friend,  the  banker  Wimplehurst,  are  walk- 
ing in  the  gardens  together,"  he  said,  and  turned 
to  Kent  to  see  the  effect  of  his  words. 

"By  Jove!  Is  that  so?  I've  been  rather  both- 
ered about  our  friend  the  chancellor  in  the  last  few 
weeks,"  Kent  said.  "He's  so  uncommonly  bright 
that  I  haven't  been  able  to  get  a  line  on  him." 

He  got  up  and  came  to  the  side  of  the  window, 
caught  the  curtains  in  his  hand  to  shield  himself 

[163] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

from  possible  observation  and  looked  through  the 
meshes. 

11  Wonder  what  in  the  deuce  that  rascal  has  on 
hand  now?  It's  something.  Otherwise  he 
wouldn't  have  selected  the  garden  for  the  meeting. 
No  place  like  a  garden  or  a  crowded  street  to  keep 
from  being  overheard.  He's  afraid  that  walls 
have  ears  like  an  elephant's.  And  so  they  have; 
under  my  especial  provision,"  he  added  with  grim 
humour. 

He  suddenly  turned  and  hastened  to  his  desk, 
pulled  open  a  drawer  and  handed  a  pair  of  binocu- 
lars to  Ivan. 

"Keep  out  of  sight  and  tell  me  what  they  say," 
he  ordered,  after  which  he  returned  to  his  desk 
and  quietly  lounged  over  its  corner  with  folded 
arms. 

Ivan  grinned,  adjusted  the  glasses,  focussed 
them  at  a  conveniently  thin  place  in  the  curtain 
design  and  began  talking,  disjointedly,  as  if  to 
himself. 

"Wish  I  could  open  these  curtains.  They  bother 
me — when  there's  two  hundred  yards  between  us. 
Hard  to  read  the  lips  unless  they  turn  this  way. 
Ah!  They've  stopped  and  I  can  see  them  both. 
Lucky  that  the  banker  is  smooth-shaven  and 
speaks  distinctly." 

He  paused  for  a  moment  as  if  picking  up  the 
[164] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

thread  of  conversation  that  was  being  unwound 
across  the  wide,  intervening  space. 

"It  seems  that  Provarsk  has  arranged  with 
the  banker  to  get  together  a  certain  number  of 
men  to  create  a  disturbance  when  the  announce- 
ments are  made.  Provarsk  thinks  enough  fuss 
can  be  raised  to  stop  your  conscription  scheme. 
The  banker  doesn't  want  it  to  go  as  far  as  open 
revolt.  Provarsk  laughs.  Says  what  if  it  does. 
Banker  says  that  part  is  up  to  Provarsk.  Pro- 
varsk hopes  that  the  centre  of  unrest  and  objection 
being  the  capital,  it  will  spread  out  into  the  coun- 
try. Says  he  knows  your  affairs  are  critical,  and 
that  if  you  are  beaten  in  this,  you'll  either  have 
to  give  up  or  try  something  else.  Banker's  men 
are  to  be  posted  around  different  spots  in  the 
Market  Place.  Provarsk  wants  to  know  how  they 
are  to  act  unitedly.  Banker  says  he  will  get  up 
close  to  the  stand  where  the  announcement  is  to 
be  read,  then,  when  he  thinks  time  is  right,  will 
get  up  and  give  signal.  That  immediately  a  riot 
will  start.  Says  all  his  men  know  one  another 
by  a  red  cockade  in  the  left  buttonhole.  Provarsk 
wants  to  know  if  the  banker  followed  his  instruc- 
tions and  confined  his  efforts  to  Marken,  because 
he  thinks  concentration  here  is  important.  Banker 
says  yes,  all  are  to  be  at  Market  Place.  Banker 
says  had  to  pay  men  four  dollars  each  in  advance. 
Wants  Provarsk  to  pay  him  back.  Provarsk 

[165] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

smoothing  banker  down  with  promises.  Tells  him 
he's  to  be  Minister  of  Treasury  some  day  and 
not  too  many  questions  asked.  Banker  appears 
satisfied.  The  baron  has  an  idea " 

He  was  interrupted  by  Kent,  who  had  arisen, 
walked  behind  him  and  now  took  the  glasses  from 
his  hand  and  said,  "  Never  mind  the  remainder. 
I've  only  got  an  hour  in  which  to  move.  Go  and 
get  Paulo  and  bring  him  back  with  you  on  the 
jump !  And,  hold  on  a  minute !  As  you  go  out  to 
get  him,  order  my  car  brought  around  and  kept 
in  waiting  at  the  private  door.  Also,  as  soon  as 
you've  brought  Paulo  here,  don't  wait,  but  skip 
over  to  your  room  and  arm  yourself,  and  bring 
a  gun  for  me.  Just  as  well  be  prepared.  Hurry, 
Ivan!  We've  got  quite  an  uncertain  job." 

After  Ivan  had  rushed  from  the  room,  he  daw- 
dled back  toward  his  desk,  stood  above  it  for  a 
moment,  carefully  sorted  the  lists  and  papers,  and 
then,  with  hands  in  trousers'  pockets,  sat  on  the 
corner,  swung  his  leg,  and  carelessly  hummed  a 
tune  as  if  perfectly  satisfied  with  all  things.  Only 
his  eyes  betrayed  any  excitement,  and  they  danced 
as  happily  as  those  of  a  boy  just  starting  on  some 
wild  adventure.  But  when  Paulo,  eager  to  be  of 
service  to  this  leader  whom  he  trusted  and  ad- 
mired, came  through  the  door,  he  lost  no  time  in 
beckoning  him  to  his  private  office  where  he  leaned 
forward  and  mumbled  hasty  instructions,  check- 
[166] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

ing  them  off  on  his  finger-tips,  and  having  them 
recapitulated  to  make  certain  of  their  intelligent 
understanding.  He  was  quite  gleeful  when  Paulo 
ran  from  the  room,  calling  back,  "  Leave  it  to  me, 
Mr.  Kent.  You  can  depend  on  me." 

He  consulted  his  watch,  saw  that  it  lacked  but 
half  an  hour  of  noon,  and  locked  his  desk  and 
twirled  the  knob  of  his  private  safe.  He  clapped 
his  hat  on  his  head,  and  whistled  merrily  as  he 
closed  the  office  door  after  telling  his  secretary 
that  he  would  not  return  until  late  in  the  after- 
noon. He  was  exactly  like  any  other  American 
business  man  as  he  walked  alertly  to  his  waiting 
car,  smiled  at  Ivan,  and  told  the  driver,  another 
man  on  whom  he  could  depend,  to  make  his  way  to 
the  Market  Place.  He  lighted  a  cigar  and  puffed 
it  vigorously  as  the  car  swung  out  of  the  palace 
gates  and  with  shrill  warnings  made  its  way  to- 
ward the  centre  of  that  day's  attraction. 

In  the  outskirts  of  the  crowd  the  car  was  stopped 
by  an  officer  who,  on  seeing  the  palace  uniform 
worn  by  the  driver,  was  prepared  to  give  the  car 
right  of  way.  The  American  dismounted. 

"Permit  this  car  to  stand  here  at  the  side 
where  we  can  reach  it  when  we  return,"  he  said. 
"  Clear  a  way  and  conduct  my  man  and  me  to  the 
platform  where  the  announcement  is  to  be  made. 
I  am  on  the  king's  business." 

"I  recognised  you,  sir,"  said  the  officer  respect- 

[167] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MR.  KENT 

fully,  and  at  once  called  to  two  of  his  men  and 
began  conducting  them  forward.  The  crowd 
swayed,  commented,  and  drew  back  leaving  a  free 
lane  down  which  they  pasesd.  Gay  it  appeared 
with  all  the  colours  of  the  rainbow,  a  strange 
motley  of  gorgeous  hues  now  that  the  holiday  cos- 
tume was  donned.  Under  their  feet  the  rounded 
cobbles,  polished  by  many  feet  for  many  ages,  were 
littered  with  broken  flowers,  tinsel  from  sweet- 
meats and  confetti.  Any  great  gathering  in 
Marken  betokened  a  holiday,  sacred  or  secular, 
and  habit  could  not  be  overcome  in  a  day.  At  the 
foot  of  a  grey  old  tower  whose  clock,  daintily 
veiled  with  ivy,  stared  down  at  the  assemblage,  a 
stand  had  been  erected;  for  here,  from  time  im- 
memorial, had  been  read  the  king's  commands.  It 
was  always  the  same  scene.  First  the  waiting 
crowd,  then  the  king's  heralds  brilliantly  clad, 
the  shrilling  of  silver  trumpets,  the  silence,  some- 
times murmuring,  sometimes  breathless  and  ex- 
pectant, as  befitted  the  gravity  of  the  situation, 
while  some  person  of  state  shouted  in  long-drawn, 
deliberate  tones  the  king's  decree.  Always  it 
closed  with  the  same  statement,  that  confirmation 
would  be  found  on  the  printed  announcements 
hereafter  to  issue  and  "God  Save  the  King!" 
Sometimes  they  had  approved.  Sometimes  they 
had  looked  at  one  another  sullenly,  or  humorously, 
and  asked  what  God  should  save  him  for,  being  a 
[168] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

little  in  doubt  on  that  point,  and  finding  no  suffi- 
cient reason  of  their  own.  Legend  said  that  away 
back  in  distant  times,  some  of  their  kings,  a  very 
few,  being  those  who  could  read,  had  in  person 
bawled  their  own  decrees.  But  that  had  been  a 
long  time  ago,  and — well — the  ways  of  God's  an- 
ointed were  sometimes  incomprehensible  to  those 
of  meeker  mould.  An  unexpurgated  history,  now 
suppressed,  declared  that  Ferdinand  First  while 
addressing  his  loyal  subjects  had  fallen  over  the 
platform  rail  because  at  the  time  he  happened 
to  be  drunk ;  but  none  dared  criticise  a  king  lest, 
being  God's  chosen,  one  commit  sacrilege.  It  was 
too  much  like  scratching  one's  head  when  reading 
the  Poet  Laureate's  poem  dedicated  to  " Princess 
Ann  Elize  on  Her  Sixteenth  Birthday,"  which 
called  her  fairer  and  more  divine  than  all  the 
angels  ever  before  loaned  direct  from  Heaven, 
when  one  who  had  seen  her  knew  that  she  had  a 
face  like  an  oyster  shell,  with  a  pendent  lower  lip, 
and  drooled  when,  straining  her  intelligence  to 
its  limit,  she  talked  about  the  weather. 

Kent  reached  the  platform  and  saw  one  of  his 
own  men  there,  clad  as  a  king's  crier.  The  man 
looked  like  a  cross  between  haughtiness  and  an 
attack  of  fever  and  ague.  Kent  thanked  the  offi- 
cer, climbed  to  a  back  seat  on  the  tiny  platform 
and  stared  over  the  crowd  below.  He  observed, 
with  satisfaction,  that  here  and  there  in  this  crowd 

[169] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

there  were  tiny  swirls  and  lanes  like  those  of 
cross  currents  in  a  sluggish  stream,  and  that  every 
now  and  then  an  automobile  at  the  extreme  edge 
of  the  pool  appeared  to  have  been  granted  a  bur- 
den, and  dexterously  whirled  away. 

A  gun  boomed  from  an  old  fortress  that  stood 
sentry  above  the  market  place.  The  old  clock  in 
the  tower  began  a  ringing  of  cracked  and  ancient 
chimes.  A  wooden  crusader  clumsily  carved,  and 
riding  a  clumsily  carved  figure  presumed  to  rep- 
resent a  horse,  went  rocking  around  a  circle  with 
creaking  jerks,  met  a  similar  wooden  monstrosity, 
passed  from  sight,  and  a  toy  rooster  opened  a 
door  and  crowed  as  if  to  impress  those  below  with 
the  fact  that  he  had  a  serious  bronchial  affection, 
or  had  lost  part  of  his  crow.  Another  effigy  sup- 
posed to  carry  the  colours  of  Marken  creaked 
around  the  circle,  and  the  official  announcer  got  to 
his  feet,  and  made  his  way  to  the  front  of  the 
platform. 

"In  the  name  of  his  gracious  majesty,  Karl  II, 
King  of  Marken,  Duke  of  the  Trentheim,  Baron 
of  the  Oberwald,"  etc.,  etc.,  he  announced  and 
began  reading  the  decree,  which,  stripped  of  the 
whereases  and  wherefores  and  constant  references 
to  Divine  Eight,  bluntly  told  the  citizens  of  Mar- 
ken  the  appalling  truth — that  they  would  have  to 
go  to  work. 

In  the  horrified  silence  it  was  explained  that  a 
[170] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

state  form  of  conscription  had  been  evolved,  not 
for  the  purpose  of  bearing  arms,  but  that  work- 
ers might  be  obtained  for  the  conduct  of  various 
state  enterprises,  the  profit  therefrom  to  be  de- 
rived by  the  state  and  applied  to  the  payment  of 
its  debts  and  upkeep ;  that  ultimately  the  citizens 
themselves  would  receive  that  profit  after  the  state 
debts  had  been  paid,  and  that  the  new  form  of 
taxation,  that  imposed  by  the  work  of  their  hands, 
would  abrogate  all  others.  Furthermore,  it  was 
announced  that  certain  factories  and  public  utili- 
ties were  to  be  commandeered  and  in  future  op- 
erated by  the  government  acting  over  and  legiti- 
mately protecting  the  original  owners.  The  voice 
of  the  announcer  closed  with  its  "God  Save  the 
King,"  and  he  took  his  seat. 

There  had  been  attentive  silence  while  he  read. 
Out  there  in  the  clear  noon,  under  the  clear  blue 
sky,  the  Markenites  listened,  and  struggled  to 
comprehend.  And  then  an  abrupt  murmur  arose 
to  become  in  a  moment  a  roar,  and  the  American 
sitting  stolidly  and  listening  attentively,  caught  an 
undernote  that  threatened  anger;  so  without  a 
moment's  hesitation  threw  himself  forward  to 
stem  the  tide  before  it  got  beyond  control.  He 
signalled  to  the  trumpeters  and  shouted,  "Blow I 
Throw  your  lungs  into  it!  Quickly!  Blow!" 

Obediently  the  two  men  trumpeted  for  atten- 
tion. Kent  had  jumped  across  the  platform  and 

[171] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MR.  KENT 

shouted  into  the  announcer's  ear:  "Tell  them 
the  king  has  sent  his  agent  to  explain  what  the 
new  conscription  amounts  to!" 

In  his  gorgeous  uniform  the  announcer  again 
stepped  to  the  front  between  the  trumpeters,  ges- 
tured them  to  stop  and  raised  his  hand  for  silence. 

"Hear  Ye!  Hear  Ye!"  he  called,  and  paused 
until  the  silence  was  absolute.  "That  His  People 
may  understand,  His  Majesty  the  King  has  sent 
to  you  his  personal  agent  to  explain  more  fully 
than  could  be  done  by  royal  decree  the  objects  and 
effects  of  the  new  law.  Give  heed  to  the  king's 
mouthpiece!" 

Kent  came  forward  and  studied  his  audience, 
that  waited  ominously. 

"Listen  to  the  king's  desire,"  he  said,  in  his 
big,  resonant  voice  that  swept  over  their  heada 
and  through  the  Market  Place.  "His  Majesty  has 
but  one  wish,  to  make  Marken  and  Markenites 
respected  and  prosperous.  He  wishes  to  make  the 
title  of  Markenite,  all  over  the  world,  a  proud 
synonym  for  honesty,  industry,  and  prosperity." 

He  paused  a  moment  with  his  shrewd  senses 
alert,  and  decided  that  he  was  on  the  wrong  track 
when  he  tried  to  arouse  them  to  patriotism.  In- 
stantly his  facile  imagination  adopted  another 
course,  and  a  momentary  sneer  flickered  over  his 
lips  as  he  shifted  to  demagoguery,  the  fine  old 
method  used  from  the  days  of  Borne  to  the  days 
[172] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

of  the  present,  forever  effective,  and  invariably 
ephemeral,  but  potent  for  a  crisis  such  as  this. 

"The  king  has  studied  the  situation.  He  be- 
lieves that  the  poor  are  getting  poorer  and  the 
rich  richer,  and  that  the  great  throbbing  honest 
frame  of  mankind  is  about  to  be  crucified  on  a 
cross  of  gold!  Down  with  the  trusts!  Give  the 
honest,  horny-handed  son  of  toil  a  chance!  One 
man  is  as  good  as  another  and  better.  E  Pluribus 
Unum!  Multum  in  Parvo!  Who  is  to  blame? 
said  His  Majesty  the  King,  after  years  of  study. 
And  then  like  seeing  a  great  white  light  he  under- 
stood. It  was  because  these  who  had  riches  no 
longer  worked  but  devoted  themselves  to  idle  lux- 
ury and  looked  down  upon  the  real  Markenites, 
those  who,  with  rugged  arms,  sweat-stained  brows, 
and  hopeless  eyes  looked  up  to  the  Heavens  and 
cried  in  patient  agony,  'How  long,  Oh,  Lord,  how 
long!'  Ground  beneath  the  heel  of  the  octopus 
wealth  those  who  had  nothing  saw  about  them 
many  who  had  much,  but  saw  no  way  of  getting 
any  of  it.  'Many  of  my  beloved  people,'  said  the 
king,  *  produce  nothing  and  will  not  work  with 
their  hands,  whilst  their  brothers  till  the  fields 
from  rooster  crow  to  nightingale's  song  for  a  mere 
pittance.  I  want,'  said  the  king — the  great  sor- 
rowing king  of  this  imperial  realm,  *  to  know  that 
the  workingman's  dinner  pail  is  full!'  That  is 
what  he  said." 

[173] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

He  paused  and  saw  with  satisfaction  that  his 
words  were  having  effect.  He  went  them  one  bet- 
ter. He  lowered  his  voice  to  a  tone  of  pathos, 
rolled  his  eyes  upward,  shook  his  hands  up  at  the 
clear  blue  sky  and  said  in  a  still  more  impressive 
silence,  "I  would  that  you  could  have  seen  that 
great  king  that  governs  us  all,  Karl  the  Second, 
whose  name  shall  pass  down  through  all  ages,  im- 
mortal, enshrined  in  the  tender  memories  of  men, 
as  he  stood  with  great  pitiful  eyes  suffused  with 
unshed  tears  and  cried,  '  The  salvation  of  my  peo- 
ple lies  in  that  simple  thing,  the  full  dinner  pail ! 
And  that  this  may  come  about  there  is  but  one  way, 
that  all  men  shall  work,  produce,  develop,  and  do 
their  share.  The  richer  the  plutocrat,  the  more 
he  should  do.  The  poorer  the  man,  the  more  op- 
portunity he  should  have  to  become  independent 
among  his  fellows.  Therefore  each  and  all  shall 
work  as  his  or  their  abilities  seem  fitted.  There 
shall  be  no  more  starvation  wages.  Some  wages 
shall  be  increased  by  the  hundred  fold,  and  others 
in  proportion.  The  man  who  now  earns  but  a 
kroner  a  day  shall  have  two  kroners.  The  rich 
man  shall  work  with  his  brothers  and  actually  earn 
the  same.'  Thus  spoke  His  Majesty.  The  gra- 
cious king  will  see  that  work  is  forthcoming,  and 
the  gracious  king  will  see  that  no  one  in  all  this 
broad  land  shall  go  hungry  to  his  humble  couch 
whilst  others  who  have  heretofore  prospered 
[174] 


•THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

beyond  their  deserts,  shall  with  full  bellies  rest 
between  silken  sheets." 

He  paused  dramatically,  and  lifted  his  hands 
above  his  head,  crossed  in  a  peculiar  manner,  and 
instantly  a  wild  cheer  broke  out  that  began  in  a 
singularly  scattered  way,  but  was  so  insistent  that 
the  people  themselves  took  it  up  at  last  and  roared 
loudly,  "God  Save  the  King!  Long  live  the 
King!" 

Kent,  discerning  the  same  sort  of  frenzy  that 
prevails  alike  in  negro  camp-meetings  and  Madi- 
son Square  political  meetings,  where  individuals 
yell  and  shriek  principally  because  the  men  on 
either  side  are  setting  the  example,  played  another 
fine  old  oratorical  trick  by  furiously  bawling  for 
silence  and  gesturing  appeals,  polite  requests,  and 
commands. 

"No  man  dares  speak  against  the  king's  wish," 
he  roared,  as  if  intent  on  being  heard  by  some  one 
across  the  Atlantic  ocean,  "because  his  intelligent 
and  wise  fellows  will  understand,  at  once,  that 
such  an  objector  is  a  disgrace  to  the  name  of  man- 
hood, an  obstructor  to  progress,  a  rebel  at  heart, 
and,  worst  of  all,  one  who  would  trample  under 
foot  the  grand  and  noble  flag  of  labour,  that  sacred 
standard  that  has  been  followed,  defended  and 
died  for  since  time  began,  that  symbolises  the 
glory  of  honest  toil!" 

Again  he  made  that  peculiar  gesture,  and  this 

[175] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

time  the  cheers  were  hysterical  in  volume  and  min- 
gled with  them  was  the  roar  of  firearms  as  a  group 
of  soldiers  stationed  at  the  side  of  the  Market 
Place,  in  obedience  to  a  command  from  their  offi- 
cer, fired  a  blank  salvo  in  the  air.  A  man  sta- 
tioned in  the  tower  banged  the  cracked  bells  and 
lashed  them  up  to  a  fine  imitation  of  joy.  Men 
and  women  hugged  one  another.  Dogs  howled. 
Children  shrieked  with  excitement,  and  the  quaint 
old  buildings  surrounding  the  Market  Place 
rocked  and  trembled  with  the  universal  ecstasy 
that  intoxicated  the  Markenites  now  that  they  had 
been  plainly  told  what  a  wonderful  king  was  this 
that  had  come  to  lead  them  to  universal  riches, 
and,  therefore,  to  such  a  state  of  plenty  that  they 
could  buy  anything  in  sight,  eat  the  best  there  was 
to  be  had  and  patiently  look  forward  to  an  earthly 
paradise  where  nobody  at  all  had  any  work  what- 
ever to  do. 

The  King's  Remembrancer  turned  and  winked 
slyly  at  Ivan  and  voiced  silently  the  cryptic  re- 
marks made  by  many  another  renowned  orator, 
when  closing  a  successful  campaign  speech, 
" Guess  that'll  hold  them  for  a  little  while.  Come 
on!  Let's  beat  it!" 

Like  a  stern  conqueror,  with  head  erect  and 

steady  eyes  he  moved  slowly  through  the  lane  that 

opened  wide  to  give  him  egress.    He  seemed  not 

to  hear  the  shouts  of  approval,  or  the  cheers  of 

[176] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

those  who  paid  him  adulation  as  the  one  who  had 
spoken  for  the  king.  Only  once  he  halted  in  this 
triumphal  progress,  when  his  eyes  fell  on  a  puffed- 
up  and  self-important  contractor  with  whom  he 
had  become  acquainted  and  whom  he  thoroughly 
detested  for  his  garrulity.  To  him  he  extended  his 
hand  and  spoke.  The  little  man  swelled  visibly  at 
being  thus  recognised  by  the  great  man,  and  was 
gratified  that  so  many  could  see  this  evidence  of 
friendship. 

"The  people  understand,"  murmured  Kent, 
confidentially.  ' '  The  king  told  me  they  would,  be- 
cause he  could  always  trust  to  their  good  sense; 
but  His  Excellency,  the  Chancellor,  will  be  furious ; 
because  you  see  he  wanted  the  king  to  lower  all 
wages,  and  not  compel  any  of  the  rich  ones  to 
work.  The  chancellor,  born  to  a  golden  spoon,  I 
am  afraid  hates  the  honest  sons  of  toil.  Trust 
the  king  to  set  him  in  his  place  if  he  goes  too  far ! ' ' 

He  gave  a  lugubrious  shake  of  his  head,  again 
shook  hands  very  warmly  and  hastened  onward. 

"One  for  you,  Provarsk,"  he  said  to  himself. 
"Before  I've  got  out  of  this  square  that  fat  gas 
bag  will  pass  it  around  with  exaggeration  and  my 
worthy  little  chancellor  won't  dare  travel  with- 
out a  guard  for  some  time,  I  reckon.  Hope  they 
don't  catch  him  and  hang  him  on  sight!" 


[177] 


CHAPTEE  TEN 

IN  the  precincts  of  the  palace,  on  that  eventful 
afternoon,  there  was  considerable  apprehen- 
sion sustained  by  the  king,  who,  born  to 
precedent  and  hedged  in  by  conventionalities,  be- 
lieved in  doing  all  things  slowly  and  with  decorum. 
As  Kent  once  said,  he  was  "As  fine  a  watchful- 
waiter  as  ever  succeeded  in  ponderously  doing 
nothing. ' '  Indeed  there  was  but  one  person  visible 
after  Kent's  hasty  departure  for  the  Market  Place 
who  did  not  seem  anxious,  that  person  being  the 
chancellor  himself.  He  strolled  languidly  into 
Kent 's  office  within  three  minutes  after  the  Amer- 
ican had  passed  out,  and  looked  for  the  King's  Ee- 
membrancer.  Not  seeing  him,  he  smiled  slyly, 
took  a  seat,  waited  a  few  minutes,  and  then  rang 
the  bell  that  summoned  Kent's  secretary.  That 
astute  and  well  trained  young  gentleman  entered 
the  room  and  stood  like  a  statue  of  respectful  at- 
tention. 

"Good  morning,  Your  Excellency,"  he   said, 
while  in  the  back  of  his  brain  ran  the  question, 
'  *  Wonder  what  that  pusillanimous  blighter  wants 
in  here  at  this  time?" 
[178] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

"I  should  like  to  speak  with  Mr.  Kent,"  an- 
nounced the  chancellor. 

"I  regret  to  say,  sir,  that  he  is  not  in  at  pres- 
ent," replied  the  secretary,  with  due  deference. 
"Any  word  which  Your  Excellency  might " 

"When  will  he  be  in?"  curtly  interrupted  Pro- 
varsk. 

"Probably  not  until  late  this  evening,"  was  the 
calm  response. 

"Where  is  he?" 

"I  rather  think,  sir,  that  he  has  gone  to  inspect 
some  new  work  over  at  the  mines,"  deliberately 
lied  the  secretary,  but  with  a  convincing  air  of 
innocence  and  candour  that  proved  his  worth  as 
either  a  secretary  or  a  witness  before  a  congres- 
sional investigating  committee.  He  stood  at  ease, 
still  with  that  air  of  deference,  but  noted  that  the 
chancellor,  after  a  moment's  thought,  was  un- 
doubtedly pleased.  His  meditations  were  inter- 
rupted by  the  entrance  of  the  king,  who  came  in 
with  more  than  usual  haste.  Provarsk  instantly 
stood  to  his  feet ;  but  the  king  took  one  glance  at 
him  and  frowned  in  lieu  of  greeting. 

"Your  superior — where  is  he?"  demanded  the 
king,  addressing  the  secretary. 

"He  is  not  in  at  present,  Your  Majesty," 
promptly  responded  that  worthy. 

The  king  was  undoubtedly  anxious.  A  certain 
nervousness  of  demeanour  expressed  it. 

[179] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

"That  is  just  what  I  was  asking,  Cousin,"  airily 
interjected  the  chancellor. 

"Suppose  you  stop  'cousming'  me,"  the  king 
said,  eyeing  him  with  no  attempt  to  conceal  his 
dislike.  "Besides,  I  don't  know  what  you  had 
been  asking.  Few  people  ever  do." 

With  undisguised  enjoyment  that  he  had  suc- 
ceeded in  exasperating  the  king,  Provarsk  smiled 
and  flicked  his  fingers. 

"Oh,  tut!  tut!"  he  said.  "What  I  had  just 
remarked  was  that  I  thought  it  very  discreet  of 
Mr.  Kent  to  remove  himself  on  such  a  momentous 
day.  To  take  to  the  woods,  I  might  say,  lest  a 
storm  arise." 

The  king  turned  his  back  and  walked  toward 
the  door  leading  out  to  the  hanging  balcony,  where 
he  stood  gazing  off  toward  the  city.  Not  in  the 
least  disconcerted,  Provarsk  added,  with  mock 
gravity,  "I  even  told  him  that  affairs  were  criti- 
cal and  that  perhaps  the  power  of  the  throne  it- 
self had  been  cast  on  an  issue  of  extreme  doubt." 

"That  must  distress  you  terribly,"  remarked 
the  king,  with  a  sneer  in  his  voice. 

"Ah,  good  morning,  Your  Royal  Highness," 
Provarsk  said  with  great  heartiness,  and  the  king 
turned  to  discover  that  his  sister  had  entered  the 
room  and  was  now  facing  Provarsk  with  a  cool 
stare. 

"Karl,"  she  asked,  "is  it  true  Mr.  Kent  still 
[180] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

insists  on  forcing  his  wishes  through  to  the  very; 
utmost  ?  That  enforced  labour  measure  ? ' ' 

"So  far  as  I  know,'*  moodily  replied  the  king. 

"And  aren't  you  afraid  that "  she  paused 

and  looked  at  Provarsk,  who  declined  to  depart 
without  direct  orders. 

"Afraid  of  what?"  the  king  asked  in  a  tone  of 
irritation. 

"Afraid  there  will  be  trouble,"  calmly  inter- 
jected Provarsk.  "That  is  what  the  Princess 
Eloise  means.  Afraid  the  people  won't  submit. 
And  why  should  they?  I  wouldn't  if  I  were  one 
of  them.  You  can  give  odds  on  that." 

The  secretary  created  a  diversion  by  discreetly 
bowing  himself  backward  to  the  office  door  and 
then  through  it,  with  the  staid  fervour  of  an 
automaton.  The  princess  looked  at  her  brother  a 
polite  request  to  order  Provarsk  from  the  room; 
but  the  king,  through  obstinacy,  refused  to  heed  it. 

"You  were  about  to  say,  Eloise?"  he  asked 
politely,  as  if  the  baron  had  not  been  present, 
and  therefore  had  not  impertinently  added  his 
voice  to  the  conversation. 

She  had  no  time  to  answer ;  for  at  that  moment 
there  came  from  the  distance  a  loud  roar  of  many 
voices,  and  immediately  after  the  sound  of  fire- 
arms in  ragged  volley.  The  effect  on  the  king 
was  as  if  some  one  had  propelled  him  with  a  swift 
kick  out  to  the  balcony,  where  he  gazed  anxiously 

[181] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

in  the  direction  of  the  city.  The  princess,  dis- 
tressed, also  moved  toward  the  balcony,  while 
Provarsk  grinned  pleasantly  and  seemed  to  under- 
stand the  meaning  of  the  sound.  He  was  confi- 
dent that  he  alone  knew  all  that  was  conveyed 
by  that  uproar.  He  rather  hoped  that  enough 
Markenites  had  been  killed  and  wounded  to  make 
his  revolt  a  good  one.  He  cocked  his  head  in- 
tently to  listen  for  further  shots,  heard  the  distant 
clangour  of  the  bells  in  the  city  tower,  and  de- 
cided it  must  be  an  alarum,  and  then  another 
noise  became  audible,  the  sound  of  some  one 
hastily  coming  through  the  tiled  corridors,  and 
this  latter  noise  perplexed  him.  It  grew  louder 
and  more  distinct,  and  both  king  and  princess, 
-hearing  it,  hastily  re-entered  the  room.  Sten- 
torian puffs  and  wheezes  were  now  accompanied 
by  the  ringing  of  boot-heels  and  spurs,  and  through 
the  door  galloped  the  Minister  of  War.  He  was 
in  full  uniform  of  his  own  proud  design,  and  the 
red  of  his  broad  sash  was  no  redder  than  the  red 
of  his  face.  His  eyes  protruded  and  were  wide, 
and  his  hand  was  on  his  sword  hilt.  So  fast  had 
been  his  progress,  and  so  intense  his  excitement, 
that  for  a  moment  he  appeared  unable  to  speak. 
Then  he  burst  out,  "Has  any  one  seen  Mr.  Kent? 
Has  any  one  seen  Mr.  Kent,  Your  Majesty?  Oh, 
this  is  horrible.  Horrible ! ' ' 
"I  regret  to  say,  sir,  that  he  is  not  in  at  present. 
[182] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

Any  word  which  Your  Excellency  might  wish  to 
leave  will  be  duly  repeated, "  Provarsk  said  in 
admirable  imitation  of  Kent's  secretary,  and  then 
added,  "My  goodness!  It's  all  fussed  up,  isn't 
it?" 

"Everything  is  lost!"  exclaimed  the  Minister 
of  War,  speaking  to  the  king. 

"What  has  happened!"  asked  the  latter, 
quietly,  confronting  an  issue  that  brought  out  his 
better  and  fighting  qualities. 

"Mr.  Kent!  He  told  me  that  he  proposed  to 
put  the  decree  through  regardless  of  anything 
and  that  if  I  had  to  fight,  fight  it  would  be ;  told 
me  to  have  my  army  stationed  at  places  named, 
but  said  he  would  be  there  and  that  I  wasn't  to 
'give  the  command  to  fire  until  he  told  me  to.  Great 
crowd!  People  all  excited  and  restless!  Acci- 
dentally dropped  my  glasses  and  stepped  on  them ! 
And  I've  lost  the  oculist's  prescription." 

"You're  rattled!"  said  the  king,  growing  still 
cooler  now  that  he  faced  an  emergency. 

"So  I  am!  So  I  am!"  admitted  Von  Glutz, 
hastily.  "But  I  couldn't  see  Mr.  Kent  anywhere 
and  the  crowd  grew  threatening.  I  asked  if  any 
one  of  my  officers  had  seen  him.  No  one  had.  I 
hurried  here  to  inform  him,  and  on  the  way  I 
heard  shots.  It  can  mean  but  one  thing;  that, 
pressed  to  the  limit,  my  soldiers  have  fired,  and 
that  Marken  is  in  a  state  of  civil  war!" 

[183] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

He  paused  for  want  of  breath,  and  the  king 
clenched  his  hands  and  made  as  if  to  go  to  the 
front  himself;  then  whirled  and  asked  sharply, 
"If  he  told  you  to  stay  there  in  command  of  the 
troops,  who  is  in  charge  now?" 

"  General  Handers." 

The  king  hesitated;  but  the  princess  asked 
stormily,  "Did  Mr.  Kent  say  you  were  to  kill  the 
people  if  a  disturbance  resulted?" 

Von  Glutz  in  his  turn  hesitated,  trying  to  recall 
his  exact  orders. 

"On  signal  from  him,"  he  replied. 

* '  Karl !  Karl ! ' '  she  called.  * '  Something  must 
be  done  at  once!  This  will  never  do.  You  must 
act,  regardless  of  your  promises  to  this  American. 
Now!  This  comes,  you  see,  from  your  putting 
yourself  into  the  hands  of  such  a  man." 

Emboldened  by  her  criticism  of  the  dictator, 
Baron  Provarsk  thought  he  saw  his  opportunity 
and  assumed  an  air  of  extreme  honesty  and  dis- 
tress. 

"The  princess  is  right!"  he  declared  to  the 
king.  "It  is  time  to  cast  off  such  an  incubus  be- 
fore the  kingdom  itself  has  gone  to  the  dogs." 

The  princess  recognised  his  presence  for  the 
first  time. 

"What  do  you  mean  by  that?"  she  demanded, 
regarding  him  sternly. 

It  nettled  him  to  an  unfortunate  retort. 
[184] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

"I  mean  that  the  only  way  in  which  affairs  can 
be  straightened  out  is  to  at  once  counteract  every- 
thing this  fellow  Kent  has  done,  and  if  I  had  my 
way  he  wonld  be  taken  ont  and  shot  before  the 
day  is  over." 

At  his  callons  indifference  to  either  justice  or 
life,  she  gasped,  and  eyed  him  with  a  wide  stare. 
Provarsk  wondered  if,  in  overlooking  the  complex- 
ities of  a  woman's  mind,  he  had  not  made  a  mis- 
take; but  he  was  still  daring  to  hope  to  turn  the 
situation  to  his  own  advantage.  "If  I  am  to  be 
an  actual  chancellor, "  he  began  suavely,  but  was 
cut  short  by  the  princess. 

"Which,  no  matter  what  happens,  you  are  not 
to  be,  and  so  of  course  is  all  useless  to  talk  about ! 
You  would  have  Mr.  Kent  shot !  You !  Why,  the 
worst  blunders  he  ever  made  are  sure  to  be  bet- 
ter than  the  best  things  you  have  ever  done.  You 
have  told  what  you  would  do  if  you  had  your  way. 
Well,  I'll  tell  you  what  I  would  have  done  if  I 
had  mine!  I'd  have  you  booted  into  the  street 
and  through  the  Market  Place.  Kent?  Whatever 
else  Mr.  Kent  is,  he  is  a  man.  No  matter  if  he 
has  made  mistakes,  and  is  a  money  lender,  and 
all  that,  he  is  still  a  real  man  and  unafraid.  Who 
are  you,  to  talk  about  having  him  shot?" 

She  faced  her  brother  as  if  her  last  contemp- 
tuous gibe  at  Provarsk  had  been  her  final  one 
for  him,  and  saw  that  her  brother's  eyes  were 

[185] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

fixed  on  the  door  and  that  Von  Glutz  also  stared 
in  that  direction  with  a  look  of  relief.  She  also 
turned  and  saw  that  the  American  had  entered 
the  room  and  was  now  coming  gravely  toward  her. 

"I  overheard  Your  Royal  Highness,"  he  said, 
"and  I  thank  you  for  your  defence.  I  had  not 
hoped  for  so  much  and  I  am  grateful — very,  very 
grateful — for  a  friendship  that  I  esteem  as  of 
great  worth." 

She  was  visibly  embarrassed,  and  took  refuge 
in  a  diversion. 

"What  has  happened  in  the  Market  Place?" 
both  she  and  the  king  asked  in  chorus. 

"It's  a  terrible  situation,"  wheezed  Von  Glutz. 

Kent's  eyes  flickered  as  if  he  now  understood 
the  cause  of  the  assemblage  in  his  reception  room. 

"In  some  ways,"  he  said;  "but  I  don't  see  how 
I  could  have  acted  differently." 

"Why  didn't  you "  began  the  princess  im- 
patiently, and  then  hesitated  and  looked  at  the 
king. 

"Will  the  princess  please  finish?"  the  Ameri- 
can asked.  "I  wish  you  would  extend  your  friend- 
ship to  the  point  of  advice.  What  would  you  have 
done?" 

"First  of  all,  I  should  quell  the  riot.    It  comes 
from  misunderstanding.     There  are  no  kindlier 
nor  more  amenable  people,  Mr.  Kent,  than  ours. 
They  should  not  have  been  fired  upon  at  all." 
[186] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

He  stood  quietly  to  one  side,  listening  atten- 
tively, as  if  all  his  own  plans  had  been  defeated. 

"I  don't  see  why  we  waste  time  talking  now," 
the  king  declared,  impatiently. 

"  Please,  Sire,  allow  the  Princess  Eloise  to  pro- 
ceed," Kent  said.  "Her  suggestions  might  be 
valuable. ' '  He  turned  his  face  toward  her  and  en- 
couraged her  by  asking,  "And  what  then?  After 
the  riot  is  quelled?" 

1 '  Then  they  must  be  dealt  with  kindly,  but  with 
resolute  firmness.  It  will  not  do  to  seem  to  give 
in  to  them.  They  must  be  made  to  obey ;  but  there 
can  be  a  compromise  of  some  sort,  can  there  not? 
This  new  plan  was  too  unexpected,  too  drastic.  It 
would  have  been  better  to  have  prepared  them 
gradually.  That  would  have  been  my  way,  Mr. 
Kent."  * 

She  stopped  in  expectation  of  his  defence,  and 
gazed  at  him  with  sympathy  and  regret,  as  if 
wishing  to  assist  him  in  any  way  she  could  now 
that  his  plans,  all  energetic,  all  hopeful,  had  gone 
awry.  She  had  never  by  word,  until  this  day, 
credited  him  with  any  virtues. 

"Thank  you,"  he  said  quietly,  lifting  his  fine 
eyes  to  hers.  "I  applaud  your  firmness.  It's  like 
encouragement  from  a  friend  to  hear  you  talk. 
But  I  think,  after  all,  that  my  way  was  the  best. 
Something  abrupt  and  sensational  had  to  be  done 
to  arouse  them.  I  did  it.  It  worked  all  right." 

[1871 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

All  in  the  room  fixed  him  with  looks  of  interro- 
gation and  suspense.  The  chancellor  emitted  a 
sarcastic,  "You  certainly  did!" 

"And  now  we've  got  a  revolution!"  grumpily 
muttered  Von  Glutz. 

Kent  was  still  watching  the  princess,  and  had 
opened  his  lips  as  if  to  explain  the  situation  to 
her  when  Ivan  came  striding  into  the  room, 
stopped  and  would  have  retreated  when  he  saw 
those  present,  had  not  Kent  halted  him  with  a 
gesture. 

"Well,  Ivan,"  Kent  asked,  "have  you  got  them 
all  right  now?" 

"Yes,  sir.  Captain  Paulo  said  to  tell  you  that 
the  last  of  them  had  been  rounded  up  and  that  all 
of  them  are  now  in  jail.  Also  that  he  had  fol- 
lowed your  instructions  and  ordered  an  hour  of 
free  refreshments  in  the  name  of  the  king.  The 
Market  Place  is  filled  now  with  people  singing  the 
national  air  and  shouting  their  heads  off  for  His 
Majesty.  They've  wrapped  a  big  banner  round 
the  clock  tower  that  reads,  'At  last  we  have  a 
king  in  Marken.  God  preserve  His  Majesty,  Karl 
the  Second.'  " 

Kent  calmly  grinned  at  Provarsk,  whose  face 

had  grown  black  as  an  August  thunder  cloud. 

The  king  looked  bewildered  and  vastly  relieved. 

Von  Glutz  exclaimed,  ' i  God  help  us !    What  does 

[188] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

it  all  mean?'1  and  the  Princess  Eloise  broke  into 
a  surprised  and  gratified  smile. 

Kent  again  faced  Ivan  and  asked,  "And  by  the 
way,  did  you  learn  what  they  have  to  say  about 
our  most  noble  chancellor,  Provarsk?" 

Ivan  grinned  broadly,  and  with  marked  enjoy- 
ment said,  "Yes.  Most  of  the  things  they  said 
I  can't  repeat;  but  I  should  think  it  would  not  be 
very  wise  or  safe  for  His  Excellency,  the  Chan- 
cellor, to  be  seen  without  a  good  strong  guard  for 
a  few  days,  or  until  this  celebration  blows  over. 
On  that  point  they  dispute  among  themselves; 
some  being  in  favour  of  tar  and  feathers,  while  the 
others  insist  on  hanging." 

"You  remember  of  whom  you  are  speaking !" 
roared  Provarsk,  betrayed  into  an  unusual  display 
of  anger. 

"If  necessary, "  said  Kent,  eyeing  him,  "I'll 
see  that  you  are  handed  over  to  the  mob  in  the 
Market  Place  within  the  next  ten  minutes,  and 
with  the  word  that  the  king  agrees  with  those 
who  want  to  lynch  you. ' ' 

"You  asked  my  advice  a  few  minutes  ago,  Mr. 
Kent,"  the  princess  broke  in  with  a  malicious  lit- 
tle laugh.  ' '  Let  me  offer  it.  Send  him  down  there 
now,  regardless  of  whether  he  has  anything  more 
to  say." 

Provarsk  controlled  himself  and  was  again  the 
polished,  self-contained,  and  fearless  man  of  the 

[189] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

moment.  He  brought  his  heels  together  and 
bowed  very  low  toward  the  princess. 

"To  be  hanged  by  Your  Royal  Highness*  wish 
would  be  a  happines  to  me,"  he  said. 

' '  Come !  Come !  We  Ve  had  enough  of  this,  it 
seems  to  me,"  said  the  king.  "If  Mr.  Kent  will 
but  relieve  our  suspense  by  explaining  what  took 
place " 

"Very  easily  done,"  the  American  replied,  with 
the  utmost  calmness.  "I  learned  that  a  combina- 
tion had  been  effected  between  a  certain  number 
of  men  to  provoke  a  riot  at  what  they  believed 
a  suitable  moment.  It  was  to  be  such  a  row  that 
it  might  become  a  full-grown  revolt.  I  therefore 
took  measures  to  see  that  each  one  of  these  hired 
lambs  was  to  be  shadowed  by  a  guardsman  I  could 
depend  upon.  The  Princess  Eloise  will  be  de- 
lighted to  know  that  these  guardsmen  consisted 
of  former  adherents  of  a  petty  baron  named  Pro- 
varsk,  who  have  taken  service  under  me  per- 
sonally. Money  paid  into  an  itching  palm  at  regu- 
lar intervals  and  in  sufficient  sums,  does  -make 
some  men  loyal.  These  followers  swear  by  me." 

He  did  not  look  at  the  discomfited  Provarsk, 
who  affected  an  air  of  the  utmost  indifference  and 
stared  absently  out  toward  the  garden. 

"So,"  Kent  went  on,  "when  the  hired  disturb- 
ers started  their  outburst  each  one  was  instantly 
clapped  on  the  shoulder  and  carried  away  to  a 
[190] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

nice,  secure  little  place  protected  by  iron  bars.  I 
gave  the  people  a  treat.  Talked  to  them  myself 
and  was — ahem!  received  with  marked  enthusi- 
asm. The  firing  you  heard  was  prearranged  by 
me.  It  was  a  salvo  of  joy  fired  with  blank  cart- 
ridges. The  ringing  of  the  bells  was  also  arranged 
by  me,  to  give  due  dramatic  effect.  The  feeling 
of  love  for  the  chancellor  was  also  stimulated 
by  me.  I  pointed  out  that  it  was  he  who  signed 
the  harsh  decree  enforcing  labour,  and  suggested 
that  only  the  unswerving  efforts  of  His  Majesty, 
the  King,  had  ameliorated  what  might  have  been 
a  most  heart-rending  condition  of  toil.  We  turned 
the  proposed  revolt  into  a  celebration  of  joy  and 
enthusiasm  for  His  Majesty,  who  is  probably  at 
this  moment  the  best  loved  man  in  Marken." 

The  king  threw  off  royal  dignity,  and  impul- 
sively tried  to  express  his  thanks,  but  seemed  to 
have  trouble  with  his  throat. 

As  if  to  relieve  himself  from  an  embarrassing 
position,  Kent  suddenly  swung  round  toward  Pro- 
varsk,  and  fixed  him  with  mocking  eyes. 

"By  the  way,  Chancellor,"  he  asked  in  a  casual 
tone,  "isn't  the  banker  Wimblehurst  a  friend  of 
ycva-s?" 

<l  ^  seems  to  me  that  I  am  acquainted  with  the 
gentleman,"  Provarsk  replied,  not  in  the  least 
perturbed. 

"Too  bad!  Too  bad!"  said  Kent.  "He  was 

[191] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

the  leader  of  the  disturbers.  He  was  the  first  one 
I  had  arrested  and  put  in  jail.  To-morrow  he 
shall  be  deported  and  all  his  property  escheat  to 
the  crown. " 

" Dreadful  person!"  said  Provarsk,  with  a 
slight  grin. 

Kent's  eyes  lost  all  mockery  and  stared  harshly 
at  Provarsk  with  an  unmistakable  menace. 

"Take  care,  Your  Excellency,  lest  you  over- 
work and  the  cares  of  state  become  too  great  for 
your  zeal.  It  would  indeed  be  pitiable  if  you  were 
suddenly  compelled  to  join  that  estimable  gentle- 
man, your  friend  the  banker,  in  an  equally  penni- 
less state." 

Provarsk  did  not  waver.  He  sniffed  disdain- 
fully, and  with  the  utmost  politeness  asked,  "Am 
I  to  understand  that  this  is  a  command  for  my 
departure?" 

"Not  at  all!  Why  should  it  be?"  Kent  re- 
torted with  cynical  courtesy.  "Oh,  no,  indeed! 
You  are  too  good  a  thing  to  lose  sight  of,  my  gen- 
tle chancellor.  Why,  do  you  know,  you  are  the 
most  interesting  person  I  have  met  since  the  panic 
of  1903?  It  is  almost  unthinkable  what  might 
happen  to  Marken  without  your  presence  to  g^zide 
the  ship  of  state  through  the  reefs  of  unrest  Also 
I'm  making  you  popular;  as  popular  as  c&ctior  oil 
for  a  summer  beverage." 

He  waved  his  hand  deprecatingly. 
[192] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MR.  KENT 


«,  c 


'  I  am  sure, ' '  he  said,  deferentially, '  '  that  Your 
Excellency  will  pardon,  for  speaking  so  feelingly, 
one  who  is,  after  all,  but  the  King's  Remem- 
brancer." 

" Quite  so!  Quite  so!"  retaliated  Provarsk, 
with  unbroken  nerve.  '  *  Let  us  hope  that  it  doesn  't 
happen  again.  It's  the  first  time  I  knew  you  ha  ' 
any  feelings." 


[193] 


CHAPTER  ELEVEN 

IT  was  nearly  three  months  later  when  the 
various    steel  manufacturers   of  the  world 

were  stirred  and  agitated  by  the  announce- 
ment that  the  redoubtable  John  Ehodes  had  again 
been  heard  from  and  in  a  most  unsatisfactory  way. 
The  manganese  deposits,  of  which  there  were  only 
two  or  three  of  any  size  on  earth,  had  been  secretly 
bought  in,  or  concessions  gained  therefor,  and 
word  came  from  the  blithe  John  Rhodes,  dated 
from  his  London  offices,  that  hereafter  manganese 
would  double  in  price.  Steel  manufacturers  swore 
volubly,  but  the  market  went  soaring.  Some  of 
the  manufacturers  used  cables  and  wires  to  find 
out  if  that  deposit  which  was  said  to  exist  in  a 
dinky  little  kingdom  called  Marken,  was  open  for 
sale,  lease,  or  concession. 

The  replies  provoked  renewed  profanity,  inas- 
much as  they  tersely  said,  "  Nothing  doing.  Con- 
cession already  held  by  John  Rhodes.  (Signed) 
Kent.'* 

And  the  steel  industry  of  the  world  threw  up 
its  hands  in  horror  and  was  compelled  to  submit 
to  unheard  of  prices  for  a  commodity  that  was 

[194] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

indispensable  for  all  manganese  steel.  Richard 
Kent,  smiling  plaintively  in  his  offices  in  the  pal- 
ace, found  much  cause  to  feel  well  satisfied.  He 
had  "made  good"  with  John  Rhodes  for  life,  for 
on  his  judgment  John  Rhodes  was  making  "a 
killing. ' '  Kent  could  now  see  the  way  not  only  to 
repay  Rhodes  all  the  money  advanced  to  Marken, 
but  in  addition  thereto  was  enjoying  himself  to 
the  uttermost  in  the  development  of  his  big  ma- 
chine of  state  enterprise. 

"I've  put  Marken  on  the  map,  you  can  bet," 
he  confided  to  Paulo.  "A  year  ago  mighty  few 
people  had  ever  heard  of  it.  To-day  it's  known 
everywhere,  and  there 's  a  nice  crowd  of  kings  here 
in  Europe  who  have  a  hundred  times  more  power, 
but  who  are  sick  with  envy.  Marken  markets  on 
manganese  are  quoted  daily  all  over  the  world. 
That's  going  some!" 

Daily,  also,  the  American  was  giving  the  king 
lessons  in  finance  that  made  that  dreamer  take  a 
new  interest  in  life.  The  state  automobile  no 
longer  hooted  over  the  drives,  because  the  king 
was  too  busy  poring  over  the  books  which  Kent 
had  caused  to  be  opened  for  him.  Kent  assured 
the  king  that  in  due  time  he  would  be  made  into  a 
first-class  accountant.  He  also  suggested  at  times 
that  it  would  be  a  fine  thing  for  Her  Royal  High- 
ness to  study  stenography  and  typewriting  so  she 
could  assist  in  confidential  matters;  but  at  this 

[195] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

the  king  drew  the  line.  Paulo  had  already  suc- 
cumbed and  become  as  busy  an  office  man  as  any 
concern  might  wish,  Von  Glutz  had  been  burdened 
with  the  department  of  highways  and  railways, 
and  could  be  daily  seen  inspecting  steam  rollers 
and  consulting  with  traffic  officials,  and  the  chan- 
cellor was  the  only  man  about  the  palace  who  was 
entrusted  with  nothing  at  all.  It  began  to  be 
rumoured  that  the  king  of  Marken  was  due  in 
time  to  make  the  distinguished  Prince  of  Monaco 
look  like  a  deuce  spot  in  the  financial  world. 
Meanwhile,  Richard  Kent,  hustling,  scheming,  sat 
like  a  spider  in  a  den  and  pulled  webs  from  morn- 
ing to  night,  and  remained  the  least-known  man 
on  the  scene.  The  Markenites  liked  him  and  called 
him,  familiarly,  the  King's  Errand  Boy,  a  title  to 
which  he  njade  not  the  slightest  objection.  But 
the  Princess  Eloise  was  troubled. 

Prior  to  that  day  in  the  palace  when  the  throne 
seemed  rocking  on  its  stately  legs,  the  American 
had  striven  for  her  friendship.  She  had  disap- 
proved of  him  with  an  intensity  that  she  could 
not  now  understand.  He  had  lashed  her  with  gen- 
tle, ironical  raillery;  he  had  dared  to  command 
and  subdue  her;  and  then,  after  the  day  of  her 
brave  championship,  when  she  had  wished  to  be 
his  friend  and  ally,  he  had  cultivated  a  studious 
and  aloof  politeness.  She  could  not  decide  which 
of  her  actions  had  caused  this  change.  Surely 
[196] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MR.  KENT 

the  man  was  big  enough  to  fathom  her  distress 
and  mental  harassments  in  those  times  of  up- 
heaval! From  a  defiant  dislike,  she  had  been 
won  to  a  grudging  respect  for  his  rough,  direct 
methods.  She  felt  that  she  merited  forgiveness 
for  the  natural  ignorance  of  one  who  had  never 
before  come  in  contact  with  an  American,  and 
particularly  with  such  a  one.  She  had  come  to 
forget  that  he  was  not  of  her  own  nationality, 
which  but  increased  her  resentment.  She  had 
learned  to  understand  that  this  alien  who  came 
and  went,  obscure,  unobtrusive,  unassuming,  had 
in  him  some  marvellous  quality  of  leadership  and 
organisation  that  needed  no  trappings  to  give  it 
dignity  and  power.  And  as  the  success  of  his  meth- 
ods became  positive  in  realisation,  she  regretted 
opportunities,  lost,  for  a  better  friendship  and 
understanding,  with  and  of  such  a  character. 
.There  was  embodied  in  him  a  strange,  new  and 
virile  life,  a  capacity  for  achievement,  that  she 
decided  must  have  been  born  of  that  strange,  new 
and  virile  country  from  which  he  had  sprung. 
All  her  life  had  been  imbued  with  contempt  for 
such  a  country,  a  country  of  crudities,  a  colossus 
with  nothing  to  recommend  it  save  resources  and 
wealth,  and  now,  in  the  presence  of  this  man  from 
that  country,  who  adroitly  twisted  all  things  to 
his  purpose,  she  felt  peculiarly  weak  and  useless. 
What  was  there  about  him,  what  mysterious  qual- 

[197] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MR.  KENT 

ity,  that  enabled  Mm  to  set  a  king  at  work  like  a 
bookkeeper,  a  former  chancellor  to  hurrying  over 
dusty  roads  to  inspect  a  public  work,  and  an  ar- 
dent young  soldier  like  Captain  Paulo  to  the  dry 
task  of  manipulating  funds?  She  had,  with  a 
sense  of  shame,  made  pretexts  to  seek  him  in  those 
offices  that  had  become  driving  centres  of  effort, 
and  sometimes  she  had  surprised  him  at  his  work 
and,  unobserved,  seen  him  sitting  stockily  before 
a  desk  where  there  was  a  battery  of  telephones, 
batteries  of  push-buttons,  and  compact  reference 
cards,  and  noted  with  admiration  the  crispness 
of  his  commands,  and  the  ordered  intelligence  of 
his  methods.  Her  brother  had  become  this  man's 
admiring  slave,  and  appeared  to  enjoy  with  him 
a  friendship  that  was  constantly  increasing  in 
intimacy.  She  had  looked  across  from  her  wing 
of  the  palace  at  late  hours  on  those  long  sum- 
mer nights,  and  when  the  shades  were  up  and 
the  windows  open,  seen  them  lounging  together 
and  heard  them  laughing  heartily  at  their  own 
comments.  And,  worst  of  all,  her  brother  was 
amazingly  improved  by  this  contact,  for  now  he 
moved  with  a  confident  air,  as  if  no  longer  uncer- 
tain of  himself.  The  improvement  was  not  with- 
out another  change  that  she  was  not  certain  she 
liked;  for  her  brother  no  longer  carried  himself 
with  the  august  dignity  of  a  king;  but  had  fallen 
to  the  American's  carelessness  of  dress  and  dis- 
[198] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

like  of  functions.  He  forgot  to  change  clothes 
several  times  a  day  and  formed  an  affection  for 
an  ordinary  sack  suit,  which,  she  observed  with 
horror,  was  gradually  bagging  at  the  knees.  Also, 
he  had  cultivated  a  blotch  of  ink  on  the  inner  sides 
of  his  first  and  second  fingers,  and  was  impatient 
when  she  spoke  to  him  of  this  delinquency. 

" We've  got  no  time,  Kent  and  I,  to  waste  on 
pumice  stone  and  perfume!"  he  declared  at  the 
table  one  evening  when  she  reproached  him. 

And  worst  of  all,  he  was  eating  like  a  working- 
man!  As  if  he  wanted  no  amenities  and  only 
food.  Plain  deterioration,  she  thought  it.  Also, 
his  conversation  had  undergone  a  subtle  change. 
He  no  longer  talked  of  the  standard  topics  of 
royalty  such  as  the  weather,  reports  from  the 
last  yacht  regatta,  and  the  court  scandal  of  neigh- 
bouring kingdoms.  Instead,  he  waxed  enthusi- 
astic over  another  electric  power  plant,  of  the  pos- 
sibilities of  all  taxation  being  remitted,  owing  to 
state  prosperity,  of  old  age  pensions,  and  how  a 
new  way  had  been  found  to  increase  production 
and  lower  costs  of  this  or  that,  by  Kent.  Always 
Kent!  Kent  did  this,  or  Kent  said  that!  Had 
to  lay  a  cornerstone  to-morrow  for  a  new  plant, 
because  Kent  thought  it  best.  Beastly  bore,  but 
Kent  insisted  that  he  should  do  it  because  the 
people  liked  it.  Kent  ragged  him  because  he  laid 
the  last  one  without  enough  ceremony. 

[199] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

"But  the  dignity  of  the  throne!"  she  remon- 
strated, highly  shocked  by  his  confession. 

"Hang  all  that  stuff!"  he  retorted  in  vulgar 
slang,  also  learned  from  Kent.  "The  only  thing 
that  counts  is  what  you  are  doing  and  how  well 
you  get  it  done.  Kent  said  so,  and  I  want  to  tell 
you,  Eloise,  that  what  Kent  says  is  good  enough 
for  me  to  go  by.  We — how  is  it  he  says  it  in 
English? — We  are  making  the  old  dry  bones  rat- 
tle!" 

She  affected  contempt  for  these  barbarisms  and 
in  distress  sought  that  staid  old  gentleman,  the 
Minister  of  War,  for  consolation ;  but  here  again 
she  was  rebuffed. 

' ' Haw !  Haw !  Haw ! ' '  roared  Von  Glutz.  "One 
can't  attend  to  all  things,  Your  Royal  Highness. 
Of  course  none  of  us  are  as  polite  as  we  used  to 
be.  Haven't  the  time.  No,  indeed." 

"There  is  time  for  civilities,  isn't  there1?"  she 
demanded  hotly,  and  the  red-faced  old  man  became 
grave. 

"Eloise,"  he  said,  "I  trotted  you  and  Karl  on 
my  knees  when  you  were  nothing  but  babies.  I 
was  chancellor  under  your  father.  Your  grand- 
father used  to  pat  my  head  when  he  met  me  in 
these  gardens  out  here.  Now  listen!  I  want  to 
tell  you  something.  In  all  its  history  there  has 
never  been  a  Marken  like  this.  It's  a  kingdom, 
now !  It  is  going  to  be  able  to  buy  and  sell  a  lot 
[200] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MR.  KENT 

of  its  neighbours.  It's  respected.  It  pays  its 
bills.  Its  bonds  are  away  above  par — among  the 
best  in  the  world.  If  it  wants  more  territory  it 
doesn't  have  to  go  to  war  to  get  it.  It  can  buy 
it,  outright!" 

He  even  slapped  his  fat,  sun-tanned  hand  on 
his  knee  to  emphasise  his  point,  and  added,  "We 
were  all  mistaken.  It  took  a  Kent  to  show  us  how. 
He  is  a  great  man,  Eloise,  a  very  great  man.  The 
greatest  that  ever  came  to  Marken.  Why,  do 
you  know,  I  was  angry  when  he  used  to  call  me  a 
doddering  old  fool,  and  now  I  know  he  was  right. 
I  like  it,  I  do!" 

He  threw  his  head  back  proudly  and  defiantly. 
He,  the  dignified  stately  old  chancellor,  admitted 
that  he  was  pleased  to  be  called  a  fool  so  long  as 
it  was  this  phenomenal  alien  who  called  him  that ! 

She  ended  that  interview  by  lifting  her  head 
in  the  air  and  passing  from  the  room,  and  red- 
dened with  annoyance  when  she  thought  she  heard 
from  behind  her  a  soft,  chuckling  noise.  And 
then  came  the  worst  shock  of  all.  The  king  had 
actually  gone,  with  bag-kneed  trousers,  ink-stained 
fingers  and  all,  accompanied  by  Kent  only,  into  the 
city  and  attended  an  evening  band  concert  in  the 
Market  Place.  And  most  undignified  had  been  the 
consequence ;  for  the  people,  recognising  him,  had 
given  him  an  ovation  and  with  locked  arms 
escorted  him  home  to  the  very  palace  gates! 

[201] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

When,  mortified,  she  had  reproached  him  for  this 
lack  of  dignity,  the  king  had  casually  replied, 
"To  the  deuce  with  it!  Say,  I've  got  something 
that  beats  all  that,  and  from  now  on  I'm  going 
every  night  I  can  find  time.  What  I've  found  out 
is  that  the  people  like  me.  There  was  a  baker 
down  there,  and  his  name  was  Pete ;  sort  of  a  man 
of  affairs,  I  think,  who  is  on  the  city  council,  and 
he  made  a  speech.  In  a  cafe,  it  was,  and  I  had 
to  make  a  speech.  Kent  says  that  I  did  well. 
Says  I  Ve  got  them  all  buffaloed,  whatever  that  is. 
Says  I've  got  the  makings,  whatever  that  is,  of  a 
fine  orator.  And  next  week  I'm  going  to  a  ban- 
quet given  by  the  ironmongers'  guild,  and  Kent 
says  that  after  this  when  there's  a  decree  to  be 
read,  he  wants  me  to  go  and  read  it  myself.  He 
says  I'm  a — what  is  it  that  he  calls  it  in  English? 
Oh,  yes,  I'm  a  good  mixer.  Kent  says  I've  got 
to  learn  how  to  get  acquainted  with  every  one, 
and  yet  keep  my  dignity.  Says  I  must  never  let 
any  one  talk  about  state  affairs,  but  that  I  must 
make  them  feel  that  they  can  come  to  me  when 
they  are  in  trouble.  Says  I  can  get  them  so  that 
they  would  die  to  the  man  if  I  asked  them  to." 

"What  else  did  this  wonderful  Mr.  Kent  ad- 
vise!" she  asked. 

* '  Said  I  must  never  permit  any  familiarity,  but 
must  make  them  feel  that  we  are  all  working  to- 
gether to  make  Marken  great ;  that  as  the  head  of 
[202] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

the  state  I  am  entitled  to  respect  but  that  my  acts 
as  an  individual  are  open  to  criticism ;  said  I  must 
learn  to  submerge  myself,  and  make  them  think 
of  Marken  in  the  day-time,  and  dream  of  it  by 
night.  That  I  must  make  them  proud  of  being 
Markenites  above  all  things.  That  I  must  make 
them  proud  to  say  that  they  know  the  king  per- 
sonally, and  earn  the  reputation  of  being  a  just 
king  who  could  always  be  depended  upon." 

"Rank  Democracy!"  she  exclaimed. 

"All  right.  Call  it  that  if  you  wish;  but  I  tell 
you  I  am  learning  that  the  way  to  make  men  do 
things  for  me,  is  to  make  them  do  it  because  they 
wish  to  and  not  merely  because  I  happen  to  be 
the  king,"  he  answered,  with  emphasis,  and  then 
she  realised  that  the  change  had  been  greater  than 
she  had  seen,  and  that  her  brother  had  thrown 
aside  all  the  precedent  that  had  made  the  dynasty 
a  mysterious  potency,  because  this  money  lender 
had  shown  a  new  way.  She  shuddered  with  ap- 
prehension when  alone.  She  resolved  to  make 
further  efforts  to  learn  this  strange  man  Kent, 
and  if  necessary  check  his  aggressions.  Something 
must  be  done.  She  had  tried  defiance  with  him 
at  various  times,  and  always  been  worsted.  She 
had  tried  to  approach  him  on  a  friendly  basis  and 
had  been  held  aloof  by  his  quiet  politeness.  She 
resolved  to  attack  his  reserve  in  a  more  subtle 

[203] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

way,  by  approaching  him  over  ground  that  was 
indubitably  his  weak  point. 

And  so  it  was  that  the  American,  in  his  private 
office  one  morning,  was  told  that  Her  Royal  High- 
ness the  Princess  Eloise  waited  in  the  reception 
room.  He  responded  at  once  and  stood  before 
her  with  his  grave  air  of  attention. 

"Mr.  Kent,"  she  said,  smiling  up  at  him,  "I 
have  come  on  affairs  of  state. " 

He  wondered,  mentally,  what  this  dispute  could 
be  about,  but  said  courteously,  "I  am  of  course  a 
Your  Royal  Highness'  service." 

His  steadfast,  calm  aloofness  bothered  her. 

"Why  is  it  that  you  do  not  make  use  of  me ? ' ' 

"Make  use  of  you?  Make  use — I  scarcely  un- 
derstand." 

"Yes,  make  use  of  me.  I  am  the  only  one  you 
do  not  employ.  You  have  my  brother  converted 
to  your  creed.  Baron  von  Glutz  is  working  harder 
than  he  ever  did  in  his  life.  Captain  Paulo  has 
no  time  for  any  one  or  any  other  occupation  than 
his  own  affairs.  I  am  the  only  one  left  out. 
Surely  I  am  as  much  interested  as  any  one,  and 
surely  there  is  something  I  can  do.  I  came  to  learn 
what  it  is. ' ' 

His  face  relaxed  into  a  warm  smile  that  was  his 
chief  charm,  a  smile  that  forever  came  unexpect- 
edly, that  displayed  his  firm  white  teeth,  that 
brought  little  wrinkles  to  the  corners  of  his  clear 
[204] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

eyes.  Then  as  if  studying  the  face  of  a  child,  he 
looked  at  her  with  an  odd  kindliness  and  approval. 
She  was  the  first  to  lower  her  gaze  and  could  not 
understand  why  she  suddenly  felt  like  a  small  girl 
appealing  to  a  very  great  man. 

"Will  you  not  be  seated?"  she  asked  and  heard 
him  obey.  She  did  not  look  up  until  he  began  to 
speak,  and  there  was  nothing  of  ridicule,  sarcasm, 
or  raillery  in  his  musical  voice. 

"There  is  much  that  you  might  do,  Princess 
Eloise,  if  only  you  understood;  but  the  barrier 
between  a  princess  and  her  people,  the  common 
people,  I  mean,  is — well — it's  a  mighty  hard 
hurdle  to  take.  I  don't  know  much  about  such 
things.  I  wasn't  brought  up  exactly  as  those  of 
royal  families  are,  you  see.  I  graduated  from 
a  sawmill.  Outside  of  lumber  kings,  and  soap 
kings,  and  others  of  that  sort,  we  haven't  any 
kings  in  America.  The  way  I  look  at  the  situa- 
tion here  is  this.  First  we  had  to  make  Marken 
honest  and  prosperous.  To  do  that  we  had  to 
make  people  work,  make  them  all  get  their  shoul- 
ders to  the  wheel  and  shove  in  the  same  direction. 
That  far  we  have  got.  Next,  so  that  they  may 
keep  shoving  for  all  they  are  worth,  we  have  got 
to  get  closer  and  closer  to  them ;  got  to  make  them 
loyal  to  Marken  and  its  ruling  house  because  they 
want  to  be  so.  People  can  be  forced  to  do  things 
for  a  while  by  law ;  but  that  wears  off,  sometime. 

[205] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

People  don't  have  to  be  forced  when  they  do 
things  through  respect  and  affection.  They  do 
them  because  they  want  to.  Because  it's  natural 
for  them  to  do  so.  Our  task  now  is  to  win  their 
affection  without  losing  their  respect.  You  could 
do  some  very  good  work  in  that  direction.  It 
would  help,  materially.  It  might,  sometime,  Your 
Boyal  Highness,  avert  a  serious  crisis." 

"You  mean?"  she  asked  earnestly. 

"I  mean  that  in  the  past  there  has  been  too 
much  royalty  here  and  not  enough  people;  that 
the  time  has  come  when  a — let  us  say  a  very 
small  place  like  Marken — must  begin  to  wear  its 
clothes  differently.  When  its  royal  house  must 
stop  trying  to  ape  the  emperors  and  kings  and 
-czars  of  great  and  powerful  nations;  drop  the 
royal  splendour  pretence,  and  begin  to  make  itself 
&  power  in  its  own  way,  on  new  lines,  and  let  all 
others  think  whatever  they  please  and  be  perfectly 
indifferent  to  what  they  do  think.  You've  got  to 
forget  that  you  are  a  princess,  and  try  to  make 
friends  out  there.  Every  one  of  those  women 
working  in  the  fields,  every  girl  out  there  of  your 
age,  has  just  as  many  perplexities,  and  sorrows, 
and  hopes,  and  ambitions  as  you  have.  They've 
got  just  as  much  right  to  live  and  to  hope.  Doubt- 
less some  of  their  sorrows  and  some  of  their  hopes 
would  seem  ridiculous  to  you.  Doubtless  a  lot  of 
your  sorrows  and  hopes  would  look  equally  ridic- 
[206] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

ulous  to  them.  So,  if  you  wish  to  help,  and  I  know 
you  do  or  you  wouldn't  be  here  now,  you  must 
go  out  among  them  and  establish  a  new  line,  a 
common  ground,  whereon  their  difficulties  no 
longer  seem  trivial  to  you,  and  yours  no  longer 
ridiculous  to  them.  Find  a  way  to  rub  shoulders 
with  them.  They'll  not  contaminate  you.  You'll 
make  it  a  whole  lot  easier  for  them.  Get  to  know 
their  names.  Help  christen  their  babies.  Learn 
to  advise.  Learn  to  accept  advice.  Make  them 
feel  that  you  are  not  only  a  princess,  but  a  woman 
as  well.  Why,  the  proudest  title  any  man  ever 
had  in  my  country,  Princess  Eloise,  was  given  to 
a  ruler  when  they  commonly  called  him  Old  Abe. 
Everybody  knew  who  Old  Abe  was.  And  the  rea- 
son it  was  the  finest  title  was  because  they  gave 
it  to  him  from  their  hearts!  A  nation  fought 
when  he  asked  them  to.  A  nation  wept  when  Old 
Abe  died." 

Some  great  pathos  in  his  voice,  unsuspected 
from  such  a  man,  some  prodigious  seriousness, 
impressed  and  subdued  her  as  she  listened.  This 
was  not  the  money  lender.  Here  was  one  who  had 
pulled  the  curtain  from  the  alcoves  of  his  mind, 
and  exposed  therein  something  so  noble  that  it 
brought  her,  a  princess,  to  her  knees.  A  glimpse 
had  been  given  her  of  a  fair  landscape  beyond  all 
that  she  had  ever  seen,  fairer  than  she  had  ever 
seen,  tenderly  appealing,  warmly  alluring,  like 

[207] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

unto  the  dream  of  Parsifal.  A  land  through  which 
she  might  not  pass  save  through  nobility  of  spirit 
alone.  She  was  crushed  by  a  sense  of  littleness, 
of  unworthiness.  The  American  had  arisen  to 
his  feet  and  she  felt  his  glowing  eyes.  She  arose, 
confused  by  the  swift  tracery  of  her  thought,  and 
stood  before  him  with  bent  head  and  hands  clasped 
before  her.  She  spoke,  still  under  the  spell  of 
the  dream  invoked  by  his  clear  insight,  but  could 
only  stammer,  "I  am  trying — am  trying,  Mr. 
Kent,  to  see.  And  I  understand,  now, — and  I 
don 't  blame  you — why  you  despise  me ! ' ' 

Had  she  looked  up,  then,  she  would  have  ob- 
served the  swift  look  of  pain  that  swept  across 
his  face,  and  his  struggle  to  hold  himself  in  leash. 
Just  for  an  instant,  and  then,  curbed  by  his  relent- 
less will,  it  was  gone,  and  he  was  merely  the  quiet, 
inflexible,  and  kindly  man  regarding  her  with 
serious  eyes. 

"I  did  not  say  that,"  he  rebuked  her.  "You 
asked  what  you  could  do  to  help.  I  tried  to  help 
you.  You  must  find  the  way.  I  can't.  I  don't 
understand  women.  And  because  of  this,  I  have 
most  always  avoided  them.  I  do  know  men.  I've 
had  to.  I  Ve  made  my  way  by  knowing  them.  And 
after  all,  I  may  be  mistaken  in  my  ideas.  Some- 
times I  think  they  are  foolish ;  but  it  seems  to  me 
worth  thinking  over,  Princess  Eloise,  and  I've 
learned  that  by  thinking  hard  enough,  one  can  al- 
[208] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

most  always  find  a  way.  I  hope  you  can,  because, 
you  see,  you  could  do  a  heap  of  good.  This  place 
we're  in  has  no  jobs  for  cripples  or  pygmies. " 

She  glanced  at  him  to  reassure  herself  that  he 
was  not  again  mocking  her;  but  saw  nothing  be- 
yond the  utmost  candour  in  his  look ;  yet  she  was 
secretly  pleased  to  discover,  with  a  woman's  in- 
tuition, that  he  felt  awkward  and  embarrassed. 
She  proved  merciful  to  him  and  to  herself,  by  ut- 
tering a  single  sentence. 

11  Thank  you,"  she  said.  "I  promise  to  try." 
He  bowed  deeply  to  her  as  she  walked  from 
the  room  without  looking  back  and  then  for  a 
long  time  stood  with  his  hands  in  his  pockets  and 
glowered  out  over  the  roofs  and  spires  of  the  city, 
dimmed  and  empurpled  by  the  evening  glow. 


[209] 


CHAPTER  TWELVE 

IT  was  spring  again,  and  as  if  the  change  of 
weather  or  the  indefatigable  work  of  winter 
had  worn  him  to  laxity,  Kent  sat  in  his  pri- 
vate office,  for  once  idle.    The  king,  wearing  an- 
other business  suit  that  had  also  assumed  bags 
at  the  knees,  came  hurriedly  in  and  closed  the  door 
behind  him. 

11  Hello!"  said  the  American,  swinging  around 
to  greet  him.  "What's  up?  You  look  worried." 

"I  am!"  was  the  king's  reply,  as  he  threw  him- 
self into  a  chair  and  wiped  his  brow.  "I've  got 
the  worst  of  news." 

"Where  did  you  get  it?"  asked  Kent,  with  a 
grin  that  the  king  did  not  return. 

"Down  in  the  village,"  he  said.  "Two  or  three 
of  the  men  I  have  made  friends  came  to  warn  me. 
I  listened  and  came  back  here  as  quickly  as  I 
could  to  talk  it  over  with  you.  Provarsk  has  been 
undermining  us  again. ' ' 

Kent's  eyes  twinkled  and  he  settled  back  into 
his  chair  and  lighted  his  pipe. 

"Is  that  so!"  he  exclaimed,  without  excitement. 
"Well,  what  do  you  think  you  ought  to  do  about 
it?" 

[210] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

"Do?  I  can't  do  anything  without  your  con- 
sent, and  you  won't  give  it.  I  wanted  either  to 
have  him  tried  for  conspiracy  against  the  state, 
or  throw  him  out  of  it,  two  months  ago.  You 
wouldn't  consent.  You  said  something  about  giv- 
ing the  calf  rope  enough  to  hang  itself,  and  did 
all  you  could  to  assist  him  by  gradually  giving 
him  more  power." 

"Well,  has  he  hanged  himself  yet!" 

' '  Hanged  himself  ?  Of  course  not.  He 's  trying 
to  have  us  hanged." 

"How?"  asked  Kent  with  that  same  air  of  quiet 
enjoyment,  that  did  not  at  all  please  the  king. 

"By  surreptitiously  making  the  people  discon- 
tented. He  has  them  believing  that  working  the 
mines  the  way  they  do  is  an  injustice ;  that  from 
the  mines  I  am  getting  rich ;  but  that  all  the  other 
state  institutions  are  scarcely  paying  at  all.  It's 
useless  to  tell  them  that  they  are  all  profit- 
able  " 

"Save  one,"  slyly  interjected  Kent.  "That 
state  bath  house  is  a  complete  failure.  It  has  re- 
quired all  the  means  at  my  command  to  keep  peo- 
ple from  knowing  it.  The  mineral  springs  turned 
to  salt  more  than  six  weeks  ago." 

The  king  showed  his  surprise. 

"Well,  then — why — why  didn't  you  close  the 
place  up?  I  didn't  know  that." 

"True,"  said  Kent,  with  the  same  easy  de- 

[211] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

meanour.  "I  don't  suppose  you  did  know  it.  I 
haven't  told  any  one,  and  there's  not  a  man  work- 
ing there  who  isn't  a  confidential  employe  of 
mine.  I  had  reason." 

"But  we  have  made  money  out  of  all  the  other 
state  enterprises?"  asked  the  king,  anxiously. 

"Out  of  every  one  of  them.  Marken,  whether 
it  wants  to  be  or  not,  is  due  to  become  one  of  the 
richest  nations,  per  capita,  in  the  world." 

He  laid  his  pipe  to  one  side,  and  leaned  toward 
the  king  in  a  brisk  business  attitude. 

"Listen,"  he  said,  "and  I'll  tell  you  what  it 
means.  The  time  had  come  to  eliminate  Mr.  Pro- 
varsk.  The  very  reason  we  kept  him  here  in  the 
first  place  was  to  give  him  either  a  chance  to 
make  good,  or  to  fix  him  so  that  he  would  be  for- 
ever harmless.  "Well,  we've  had  to  take  steps  to 
do  the  latter." 

The  king  shook  his  head  and  said,  "I  don't  see 
how." 

"When  we  opened  up  the  state  enterprises,  we 
permitted  any  one  to  buy  stock  in  small  blocks, 
didn't  we?  We  held  control  only.  Provarsk  tried 
to  bribe  my  secretary  to  give  him  inside  informa- 
tion as  to  what  ones  would  be  the  most  promising, 
and  to  which  ones  we  would  give  the  greatest  state 
support.  My  secretary  told  me.  Already  I  had 
decided  to  drop  the  mineral  water  resort  project 
because  it  couldn't  be  made  to  pay.  I  had  my  sec- 
[212] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

retary  take  Provarsk's  bribe,  and  then  tell  him 
that  the  mineral  water  company  was  to  be  our 
biggest  winner.  Provarsk,  through  straw  men 
and  in  clivers  ways,  bought  and  bought  until  every 
dollar  he  could  rake  and  scrape  is  in  the  venture. 
He  owns  forty-nine  per  cent  of  a  project  that  isn't 
worth  ten  kronin  on  the  minute  that  the  state  sup- 
port is  withdrawn  and  the  reasons  made  public. 
Now  do  you  see  it  all!" 

"No,  I  don't,"  admitted  the  king  thoughtfully. 
"What  has  that  to  do  with  a  fresh  disturbance 
among  the  people?" 

Kent  laughed,  amused  at  what  he  regarded  as 
the  king's  denseness. 

"Why,  just  this.  He  expects  to  arouse  the 
people  to  a  point  where  they  will  demand  a  big 
share  in  the  profits  of  all  enterprises.  Perhaps 
the  absolute  relinquishment  of  state  control  and 
ownership.  Then  those  who  hold  the  controlling 
stock  in  the  best  enterprise  will  find  themselves 
rich.  He  thinks  he  has  the  best  one." 

"Pshaw!  You  haven't  understood  me,"  de- 
clared the  king  soberly.  "I  said  that  he  aims  his 
efforts  at  the  mines." 

"Quite  true,"  replied  the  American.  "In  that 
way  he  kills  several  birds  with  one  stone.  He 
thinks  that  he  upsets  my  house  of  cards  on  one 
hand,  and  builds  his  own  with  the  other.  Also, 
he  embarrasses  you  because  he  knows  that  you 

[213] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

dare  not  tell  the  people  of  Marken  that  you  have 
given  John  Rhodes  a  concession  for  these  mines, 
and  that,  although  they  have  been  getting  big 
pay,  they  have  been  enriching  you,  as  well  as  pay- 
ing back  John  Bhodes'  money.  The  people  them- 
selves have  been  helping  to  do  it." 

" Can't  agree  with  you  quite!"  stubbornly  in- 
sisted the  king.  "Why,  the  men  who  work  there 
are  getting  double  the  wages,  and  sometimes  quad- 
ruple, that  they  ever  before  had  in  their  lives. 
They  are  prosperous — prosperous  beyond  any 
hope  that  any  of  them  ever  had.  You  don't  mean 
to  say  that  prosperous  men  are  the  ones  to 
revolt?" 

' '  Nothing  more  certain  in  the  world !  Too  much 
prosperity  is  just  the  same,  if  not  worse,  than  too 
much  poverty.  An  autocrat,  I  have  come  to  the 
conclusion,  can  make,  with  fair  luck,  either  one 
or  the  other;  too  much  wealth  or  too  much  pov- 
erty. And  the  end  will  always  be  the  same — they 
will  get  rid  of  the  autocrat,  who  is  the  most  obso- 
lete being  on  God  Almighty's  earth.  There  are 
times  when  one  seems  a  necessity ;  but  the  moment 
that  necessity  vanishes,  so  does  he.  Three  very- 
great  nations  in  this  world  proved  it,  Great  Brit- 
ain, France  and  the  United  States.  Sometimes 
I  think  the  others  don't  count!" 

"But  we  must  stop  Provarsk!"  insisted  the 
king,  desperately. 
[214] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

"You  leave  Provarsk  alone.  He  is  doing  just 
exactly  what  I  foresaw,  and  what  I  want  him  to 
do."  * 

For  a  moment  they  stared  at  each  other,  and 
the  king  was  vexed. 

"Come,"  said  Kent  seriously,  "haven't  I  ac- 
complished nearly  everything  I  have  undertaken  ? 
Have  you  lost  by  my  suggestions  ?  Think  it  over 
a  minute,  friend,  before  you  reply." 

The  king  did.  Then,  as  abruptly  it  all  recurred 
to  him,  his  own  desperate  condition  when  first  he 
met  this  man,  the  startling  innovations,  the  prog- 
ress they  had  made,  their  friendship,  and  above 
all,  the  strength  and  independence  that  this  alien 
had  taught  him,  he  was  ashamed  of  his  own 
doubts.  He  made  frank  confession. 

"Kent,"  the  king  said,  "I'm  still  a — what  you 
call — a  chump!" 

"Nothing  of  the  sort,"  remonstrated  the 
American.  "You're  all  right!  Only  you  don't 
do  things  the  way  I  do,  and  I  think  that  when  it 
comes  to  handling  rogues,  my  way  is  better  than 
yours.  Now  see  here!  This  is  what  is  going  to 
happen.  I  am  going  to  make  our  choice  chancel- 
lor believe  that  he  has  it  all  his  own  way.  Going 
to  give  him  a  lot  more  authority.  Going  to  be 
blind  and  deaf,  apparently.  Don't  you  interfere. 
I'll  let  you  know  when  I  want  you.  Let  him  stir 
up  his  revolt.  It  can  take  but  one  course,  that  of 

[215] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

demands,  because  it  is  far  too  late  for  him  to  dare 
to  do  anything  against  Your  Majesty,  personally. 
Why,  if  he  harmed  a  hair  of  your  or  your  sister's 
head,  or  suggested  such  a  thing,  they  would  take 
him  down  into  the  centre  of  the  Market  Place  and 
burn  him  at  a  stake !  And  when  the  demands  come 
up,  it's  got  to  be  up  to  you.  You've  either  got 
to  give  or  refuse,  and  may  Heaven  help  you  if  you 
blunder.  I  shall  decline  to  advise  you.  The  time 
will  then  have  come  when  you  must  act  for  your- 
self and  be  your  own  advisor. ' ' 

An  hour  later  the  king,  with  an  anxious  but 
resolute  look,  made  his  way  to  his  private  dress- 
ing rooms  to  prepare  himself  for  a  court  recep- 
tion in  which  he  was  to  be  invested  with  a  decora- 
tion from  a  neighbouring  monarch  who,  hearing 
of  the  wealth  of  Marken,  was  on  the  eve  of  asking 
for  a  loan  and  also  opening  negotiations  leading 
to  a  marriage  between  his  eldest  son,  the  crown 
prince,  and  the  Princess  Eloise. 

Also  Provarsk,  who  had  accidentally  met  the 
King's  Remembrancer  in  the  corridors,  was  be- 
ing complimented  by  the  latter  on  a  manifesto 
that  the  chancellor  had  issued  without  authority 
and  told  that,  inasmuch  as  all  old  hatchets  had 
been  buried,  there  was  no  reason  why  the  chancel- 
lor should  not  really  assume  more  power  and  do 
what  he  could  to  assist  in  the  nation's  welfare. 
Provarsk  smiled  gleefully  when  he  left  the  King's 
[216] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

Remembrancer ;  likewise  the  King's  Remem- 
brancer smiled.  They  met  once  more  that  day, 
when  in  the  palace  gardens  the  chancellor,  self- 
confident,  came  upon  Kent  and  the  Princess 
Eloise.  He  paused  to  pay  her  his  respects,  which 
she  accepted  with  cool  politeness. 

''I  learned  a  few  days  ago  that  Your  Eoyal 
Highness  had  joined  the  others  of  us  in  the  efforts 
for  the  good  of  the  kingdom — er — got  money  to 
build  a  hospital  for  women,  or  something  like  that 
Subscription  lists  all  closed,  Grand  Hurrah,  and 
all  that." 

' '  So  ? "  she  retorted  in  a  calm  drawl.  ' '  You  are 
as  nearly  correct  as  one  could  expect.  I  haven't 
joined  an  effort,  because  I  have  made  the  effort. 
It  is  true  that  there  is  to  be  a  hospital,  but  not 
true  that  its  cost  was  raised  by  subscription.  I 
am  building  it  out  of  my  own  private  funds  and 
the  women  of  Marken  have  gratefully  agreed  to 
support  it." 

He  laughed  tolerantly. 

"Oh,  they're  grateful,  all  right — for  anything 
they  can  get  for  nothing." 

An  angry  retort  was  on  her  lips,  but  she  caught 
a  warning  look  from  Kent  and  remained  silent. 
Disappointed  in  his  failure  to  exasperate  her, 
Provarsk  took  a  fling  at  the  American. 

"Your  methods  are  much  better,  Mr.  Kent. 

[217] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

You  make  them  earn  what  they  get  and  at  the 
same  time  take  good  care  to  get  yours." 

"To  be  sure  I  do!"  Kent  agreed  heartily. 
' '  That  is  your  great  weakness,  Baron,  your  philan- 
thropy. You  should  take  a  lesson  from  me,  and 
learn  how  to  get  your  own  profits  first." 

"I  am  trying  to  prove  an  apt  pupil,"  the  chan- 
cellor responded.  "I've  always  wanted  money. 
You  have  taught  me  several  ways  of  getting  it." 

"Quite  possible,"  declared  Kent,  almost  with 
enthusiasm. 

Provarsk  pleaded  the  necessity  for  greeting 
some  one,  and  after  a  very  low  bow  to  the  prin- 
cess, and  a  light  salute  to  the  American,  sauntered 
away.  She  stood  with  a  frown  on  her  face  and 
watched  him.  Kent,  after  a  moment's  wait, 
laughed  quietly. 

' '  Isn  Jt  he  fine  ? "  he  asked.  '  <  I  rather  like  that 
chap.  If  he  could  only  run  straight,  he  might  go 
a  long  way.  He 's  got  the  assurance  of  a  pet  Tom- 
cat, the  persistence  of  a  flea,  and  I  don't  believe 
he  knows  what  fear  is." 

"I  hate  him!"  exclaimed  the  princess. 

"That  never  pays.  It's  a  waste  of  time,"  he 
declared;  and  then  suddenly  shifting  the  subject, 
said,  "Will  you  permit  me  to  congratulate  you 
on  your  hospital  plan!  It  is  something  that  has 
been  needed  here.  I  have  been  watching  your 
work.  You  have  done  as  I  thought  you  might — 
[218] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MR.  KENT 

found  that  common  ground  between  the  women  of 
the  kingdom  and  yourself.  And  you  have  done 
it  alone,  and  unadvised.  I  am  afraid  you  were  a 
little  too  liberal,  though.  It  must  have  strained 
your  private  resources." 

"Strained  them?"  she  said,  and  then  laughed 
softly.  "It  did  more  than  that,  Mr.  Kent.  But 
I  didn't  want  to  do  it  by  halves,  and  the  more  I 
thought  over  it,  the  more  I  became  enthused,  and 
— there  we  are!" 

"Was  it  worth  while?"  he  asked,  quietly,  and 
staring  at  her  profile  that,  against  the  darkness 
of  the  foliage,  looked  pale  under  the  swinging  fete 
lamps  above  them. 

She  turned  toward  him  in  a  frank  outburst. 

* '  Yes !  More  than  worth  while !  And  I  owe  this 
new  world  of  mine  to  you.  I  started  badly.  I 
must  tell  you,  to  be  really  honest,  that  I  came  to 
you  that  day  through  pique.  I  saw  that  you  per- 
mitted nearly  all  the  others  to  be  friends  with  you, 
but  barred  me  out.  I  wanted  to  be  your  friend, 
too.  I  couldn't  come  to  you  as  the  others  had, 
because  I  had  insulted  you.  And  Mr.  Kent,  if  you 
knew  half  how  much  I  suffered,  and  despised  my- 
self, for  my  insolence  and  rudeness,  I  think  you 
would  take  pity  on  me,  and  forgive." 

"I  have  nothing  to  forgive!"  he  declared, 
stoutly.  "You  said  nothing  more  than  the  truth. 
You  called  me  a  money  lender.  I  am.  You  said 

[219] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

I  came  here  to  keep  John  Rhodes  from  losing  his 
money.  I  did.  Neither  of  us  should  be  ashamed 
of  the  truth." 

"But  what  of  all  the  other  things  you  have 
done?"  she  asked,  curiously. 

"The  others  don't  matter.  I  have  advised  your 
brother  as  best  I  could  because  I  liked  him.  He 
has  very  fine  ideals.  He  has  become  a  good  king, 
and  in  time  will  become  a  great  one.  It  was  in 
him  all  the  time;  but  he  needed  some  one  whom 
he  trusted  to  give  him  plain  horse-sense,  and  shape 
him  to  practicability.  I  don't  really  see  how  I 
could  have  acted  differently." 

"He  gives  you  far  more  credit  than  you  take," 
she  said.  "I  think  sometimes  I  am  a  little  jealous 
of  you.  He  talks  of  you  so  much.  His  enthusiasms 
are  so  great.  He  has  changed  so  much.  You  and 
his  work  have  absorbed  him,  and  I  am  neglected ! 
Treated  like  a  child.  No  longer  advised  with  or 
consulted.  They  all  treat  me  that  way,  now !  Not 
even  Baron  Von  Glutz,  or  Paulo,  can  spare  me  a 
minute 's  time.  I  want  to  be  something  more  than 
a  doll  baby  in  the  affairs  of  Marken ! ' ' 

"You  are,"  he  assured  her,  earnestly.  "They 
recognise  the  part  you  have  undertaken.  They 
believe  it  as  important  as  anything  they  are  doing. 
You  must  not  bother  them.  Keep  a  stiff  upper 
lip  and  hoe  your  own  row  well!" 

The  princess  gasped.  It  was  the  first  time  she 
[220] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

had  ever  been  told  to  keep  a  stiff  upper  lip.  And, 
strangest  of  all,  she  enjoyed  it.  She  began  to 
understand,  dimly,  that  in  his  attitude  was  no  dis- 
respect, but  a  mere  intolerance  for  forms  to  which 
she  had  been  accustomed,  and  that  he  bent  his  neck 
to  no  one,  not  through  stubbornness,  but  because 
it  was  habitually  held  in  complete  independence. 
Once  she  had  heard  him  remark  that  he  was  just 
a  plain  American,  and  that  "the  woods  were  full 
of  his  kind  over  there."  Perhaps  that  accounted 
for  his  fearlessness,  she  thought,  as  she  pictured 
all  those  Americans  running  through  primeval 
forests  and  fighting  red  Indians. 

She  was  annoyed  when  her  duties  as  hostess 
called  her  back  to  the  brilliantly-lit  palace  from 
which  the  music  of  the  guards'  band  came  seduc- 
tively through  the  windows,  and  where  she  must 
appear  and  talk  court  platitudes  with  very  gal- 
lant gentlemen  in  uniforms,  who  somehow  never 
seemed  to  have  much  worth  while  to  say. 

It  was  nearly  two  weeks  later  when  she  again 
sought  Kent,  and  this  time  she  was  in  a  state  of 
angry  alarm.  She  did  not  wait  to  be  announced, 
BO  urgent  was  her  haste  to  speak  to  him.  She 
scarcely  took  time  to  respond  to  his  friendly 
greeting. 

* '  I  Ve  got  news !  Terrible  news ! ' '  she  exclaimed 
desperately.  "It  was  told  me  by  three  different 
women,  wives  of  men  who  work  in  the  mines.  Pro- 

[221] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

varsk  is  stirring  up  a  revolt  on  the  new  lines.  He 
is  encouraging  the  men  to  demand  a  share  in  the 
profits  of  the  mine,  and  leads  them  to  believe  that 
if  they  can  win  this  step,  they  can  get  anything 
they  want." 

She  paused  for  breath,  and  was  surprised  that 
her  news  had  so  little  effect  on  the  American. 

1  'Thank  you,"  he  said,  "for  coming  to  tell  me 
about  it;  but  I  knew  it  already." 

"And  you  are  calmly  letting  him  go  ahead  with 
this  vile  campaign  I ' ' 

She  could  not  understand  such  complacency. 

"Yes,"  he  said.  "In  fact  I  am  surreptitiously 
encouraging  him.  Want  to  see  just  how  far  he 
can  go.  Things  have  been  rather  dull  around 
here  lately.  Provarsk  promises  some  entertain- 
ment." 

He  stared  at  the  floor  and  his  face  softened  by 
thought. 

"It's  great!"  he  declared  before  she  could  find 
speech.  "Positively  great!  I  knew  you  had  it 
in  you.  By  Jove !  I  knew  it. ' ' 

She  feared  that  something  had  grone  wrong 
with  his  mentality  and  with  an  anxious,  bewildered 
question  strove  to  bring  him  back  to  realities. 

"What  do  you  mean?  Great?  I  was  talking 
of  Provarsk 's  treachery." 

"I  mean,"  he  said,  slowly  and  unreasonably 
embarrassed,  "that  you  are  great.  Why,  just 
[222] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MR.  KENT 

think  of  it,  Princess  Eloise!  You  were  told  the 
news  by  the  wives  of  three  men  who  work  in  the 
mines!  Don't  you  see  how  you  have  won  them — 
the  wives  of  the  men  who  work  in  the  mines? 
Would  any  of  them  have  done  so  six  months  ago  f 
Did  any  of  them,  six  months  ago,  care  enough  for 
you,  the  royal  princess,  to  be  alarmed  when  any- 
thing threatened  you  or  your  house  ? ' ' 

She  had  not  considered  it  in  that  light  before. 
There  was  a  change,  and  it  had  come  so  gradually, 
so  imperceptibly,  that  she  had  been  the  last  one 
to  recognise  it.  Somehow,  this  knowledge  that 
there  were  those  in  Marken  who  cared  for  her  for 
her  own  sake,  gave  her  a  greater  sense  of  security 
and  bravery  than  she  had  ever  known. 

"Come,"  he  said,  gently,  "what  harm  do  you 
think  a  man  like  Provarsk  capable  of,  now?  Why, 
if  I  wanted  to  take  the  trouble,  I  could  start  whis- 
pers throughout  the  kingdom  to-night  that  the  real 
reason  for  his  plotting  is  that  he  intends  to  seize 
the  throne,  and  exile  your  brother  and  yourself, 
and  the  people — yes — the  very  ones  that  he  is  now 
stirring  to  make  foolish  demands,  would  tear  him 
to  pieces  and  feed  them  to  their  dogs!" 

"But  why  not  do  it?"  she  demanded,  with  all 
the  eagerness  of  a  conspirator. 

"Because,"  he  said,  slowly,  "I  don't  want  it 
done  that  way.  I  want  to  punish  him  in  my  own 
way.  Also,  because  I  enjoy  watching  him,  just 

[223] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

to  learn  how  far  he  is  capable.  Why,  if  he  can 
succeed,  we  onght  to  walk  out!  It  would  show 
that  we  are  a  lot  of  incompetents !  If  any  other 
women  talk  to  you  of  him,  just  tell  them  how 
grateful  you  are  and  forget  it.  Provarsk  must 
have  no  inkling  that  I  suspect  him.  I  want  that 
much  understood.  When  the  time  is  ripe — we 
shall  see!" 

After  she  had  gone,  the  American  sat  for  a  long 
time  alone,  and  staring  absently  through  the  open 
window  as  if  made  very  happy  by  the  knowledge 
that  at  last  the  princess  was  a  real  ally.  Then, 
smiling  grimly,  he  sent  for  Von  Glutz,  who  hap- 
pened to  be  accessible,  and  told  his  secretary  that 
they  were  not  to  be  disturbed. 


[224] 


CHAPTER  THIRTEEN 

A  STRANGE  lassitude  seemed  to  have  over- 
taken Kent.  In  direct  contrast  to  his  old 
habitual  energy,  he  now  loitered  habitually, 
taking  long  walks  alone,  dreaming  alone,  like  a 
man  who,  finding  his  task  done,  has  no  further  am- 
bition and  devotes  himself  to  useless  meditation. 
For  weeks  he  appeared  apathetic;  so  much  so 
that  the  king,  industrious,  and  the  others  of  that 
little  cohort  whose  activities  he  had  directed  and 
stimulated  were  gravely  concerned.  They  sug- 
gested that  he  needed  a  rest;  that  he  must  be  ail- 
ing ;  that  it  were  better  if  he  sought  change.  And 
to  all  these  suggestions  he  smiled  gravely  and 
shook  his  head. 

"It's  like  this,"  explained  Ivan  to  Paulo,  in 
private  conference.  "There  is  something  on  his 
mind,  some  trouble,  some  worry,  that  none  shall 
ever  know.  I  can  not  understand  it — I  who  for 
years  have  been  his  shadow,  his  right  hand,  his 
friend  of  thought  and  service.  He  has  not  con- 
fided in  me,  which  in  itself  is  strange!  Were  he 
a  youth,  I  should  say  he  was  involved  in  a  hope- 
less love  affair;  but,  being  what  he  is,  a  rock,  a 

[225] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MR.  KEXT 

being  as  independent  as  the  poles  of  the  globe,  I 
can  not  conceive  what  it  is  that  has  overtaken 
him!" 

"And  all  the  time,"  angrily  asserted  the  Min- 
ister of  Finance,  "that  Provarsk  pk 

It  was  true.  And  Kent,  as  well  as  his  adherents, 
knew  it;  for  Kent's  sources  of  information 
bronght  him  the  constant  and  unanimous  reports 
that  the  chancellor  was  adroitly  using  his  time. 
The  managers  of  the  mines  stated  that  the  men 
were  becoming  daily  more  intractable  and  sullen, 
that  nightly  meetings  were  being  held  from  which 
no  information  ever  leaked,  and  that  there  was 
a  growing  unrest.  There  was  no  room  to  doubt 
that  Provarsk  was  behind  it  all,  and  that  Provarsk 
was  carefully  laying  a  powder  train  to  cause  an 
explosion;  yet  Kent,  the  master  spirit  of  change, 
read  the  reports,  or  listened  to  them,  and  was 
lethargic. 

Baron  Von  Glutz,  the  new  enthusiast  for  road 
improvement,  slipped  hastily  away  to  the  outer 
world  to  inspect  some  new  road-making  machin- 
ery. Kent  smiled  at  his  enthusiasm.  Paulo  went 
to  the  other  side  of  the  toy  kingdom  to  inspect 
work  connected  with  his  department.  Again  Kent 
smiled,  and  seemed  happy  to  be  left  alone  and  un- 
molested. 

And  then,  when  least  expected,  Provarsk  acted 
with  his  customary  boldness.  Kent,  walking  alone 
[226] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

in  the  garden  late  one  night,  and  absorbed  in 
thought,  was  abruptly  startled  lay  a  soft  crashing 
sound  in  the  laurels  on  either  side  and  suddenly 
realised  that  he  was  in  the  midst  of  a  huge  thicket 
where,  if  it  came  to  a  struggle,  he  would  have  bnt 
small  chance.  He  whirled  with  the  intention  of 
running  to  a  better  field;  bnt  bis  foot  caught  on 
a  rope  that  had  been  tied  across  the  path,  and  be 
fell  headlong.  A  man  crashed  through  the  bushes 
on  one  side  and  threw  himself  on  Kent  before  the 
latter  could  regain  his  feel  He  gathered  bis  big 
powerful  body  that  had  in  youth  been  inured  by 
hard  work  and  hard  blattles  with  lumbermen,  and 
threw  himself  quickly  to  one  side,  broke  the  hold 
on  his  arms  with  a  sharp  wrench,  and  rolled  on 
top  of  his  assailant  His  hope  had  been  to  get  to 
his  feet;  but  the  man  beneath,  disappointed  in 
one  way,  took  advantage  of  another  and  shifted 
his  hold  to  Kent's  neck.  Instantly  another  ad- 
versary caught  the  American's  heels  and  jerked 
his  legs  from  under  Mm  so  that  he  sprawled  at 
length  on  the  man  in  the  path.  Kent  lifted  his 
arm  to  strike  and  another  man  seized  it  strongly 
and  clung  to  it.  Kent's  left  fist  struck  this  new 
assailant  and  elicited  a  grunt.  Then,  whilst  he 
was  trying  to  land  a  second  blow,  another  man 
was  added  to  the  corps  of  assailants. 

Kent  fought  so  well  that  it  took  the  best  efforts 
of  the  four  men  to  subdue  him,  after  which  be 

[227] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

was  immediately  handcuffed,  and  lifted  to  his 
feet. 

"What's  the  meaning  of  all  this?"  he  de- 
manded, between  pants. 

"It  means  that  you  are  under  arrest,"  growled 
a  hoarse  voice.  ' '  Bring  him  along,  men ! ' ' 

"But  where  are  you  taking  me?"  Kent  insisted. 

"You'll  find  that  out  soon  enough,"  was  the 
reply. 

Kent  walked  doggedly  along  in  silence  and  with- 
out further  protest,  and  was  led  directly  to  the 
private  entrance  to  the  palace,  thence  upward  to 
his  offices,  where,  despite  the  warmth  of  the  night, 
the  shades  were  drawn  and  the  room  in  a  blaze 
of  light.  As  soon  as  his  eyes  were  accustomed  to 
the  change  he  beheld,  through  the  open  door  of 
his  private  office,  Provarsk  lazily  seated  in  his 
private  chair,  and  saw  that  the  drawers  of  the 
desk  had  been  wrenched  open  and  that  numerous 
papers  were  scattered  on  the  floor. 

"Ah!  Got  him,  did  you?"  the  chancellor  re- 
marked to  the  soldiers  conducting  Kent.  "You 
did  well.  Couldn't  have  done  much  better  in  fact; 
but  I  was  rather  in  hopes  he  would  fight  suffi- 
ciently hard  to  make  extreme  measures  neces- 
sary." 

He  smiled  pleasantly  and  came  into  the  other 
room.  Kent  looked  at  the  men  around  him  and 
sneered  when  he  discovered  they  were  some  of 
[228] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MR.  KENT 

Provarsk 's    original    mercenaries,    now    become 
double  traitors. 

"However,  it  is  just  as  well  that  you  didn't 
have  to — knock  his  brains  out,"  the  baron  con- 
tinued. * '  I  find  that  the  papers  which  are  accessi- 
ble are — not  exactly  those  I  wanted.  Perhaps 
Mr.  Kent  will  oblige  us  with  the  combination  of 
his  private  vault?" 

"Bless  my  soul!  What  an  oversight!"  Kent 
exclaimed.  "You've  not  got  the  combination! 
Thoughtless  of  you.  But,  by  the  way,  it  would 
do  you  no  good  this  evening,  anyhow,  Baron.  It 
has  the  best  time  lock  I  could  buy." 

The  baron  walked  over  to  the  vault  and  in- 
spected it,  and  it  was  evident  that  he  was  not  fa- 
miliar with  such  a  modern  device. 

"Suppose  you  broke  that  clock  off?"  he  in- 
quired of  Kent. 

"Then  even  I  could  not  open  it,"  the  American 
replied.  "You  may  be  certain  that  the  vault  will 
not  open  until  after  ten  o'clock  to-morrow." 

"In  that  case  all  you  can  do  is  to  give  me  the 
combination,"  said  Provarsk,  eyeing  Kent  inso- 
lently. 

"For  two  centimes  I  wouldn't,"  Kent  replied. 

"And  for  two  centimes,  if  you  didn't,  I'd  throw 
you  into  a  wet  dungeon  without  food  until  you 
did,"  Provarsk  promptly  retorted. 
.  "Um-m-m-h!    By  Jove!  I  believe  you  would," 

[229] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

said  Kent,  admiringly,  "and  that  being  the  case, 
I  suppose  I  may  as  well  give  it  to  you." 

"Exactly!"  replied  the  chancellor.  "Little 
courtesies  will  be  duly  appreciated." 

"I've  noticed  that  you  were  appreciative," 
Kent  said,  meaningly;  "but  inasmuch  as  I'm  here 
and  you  are  there,  I  don't  see  what  else  I  can  do 
but  oblige.  If  you  and  my  good  faithful  friends 
here  are  not  afraid  of  me,  perhaps  you  would 
kindly  request  them  to  remove  this  jewelry;  other- 
wise I  can't  write." 

Provarsk  smiled  at  what  he  thought  a  sarcasm 
and  asked  the  leading  soldier  if  Kent  had  any 
weapons.  On  being  assured  that  the  American 
was  unarmed  the  chancellor  ordered  the  handcuffs 
removed. 

"And  let  me  caution  you,  Mr.  Kent,"  he  threat- 
ened, "that  any  attempt  to  escape  or  call  for  as- 
sistance may  necessitate  action  on  my  part  that  I 
should  regret  to  take.  Furthermore  it  would  be 
useless  on  your  part,  because  there  is  no  one  in  the 
palace  who  would  attempt  to  assist  you  save  the 
king  and  his  royal  sister,  both  of  whom  are  now 
slumbering  sweetly — with  a  guard  outside  their 
doors." 

Kent  looked  about  him  as  if  seeking  some  one. 

Provarsk  divined  his  look  and  added :    "And  that 

bear  man  of  yours  has  also  been  taken  in,  and  I 

believe  is  now  nicely  secured  in  one  of  the  old 

[230] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MR.  KENT 

dungeons.    I  hope  one  was  selected  where  there 
are  plenty  of  rats." 

Kent  looked  at  the  leader  of  the  mercenaries 
who  stood  stockily  by  him,  and  whose  protruding 
eyes  batted  themselves  at  intervals  and  were  de- 
void of  expression. 

"He's  got  to  be  taken  out  of  that  dungeon," 
Kent  said,  emphatically. 

"To  quote  one  of  your  own  phrases,  Nothing 
doing!'  : '  retorted  the  conspirator. 

"All  right!  Nothing  doing  in  the  combination 
line,  either,"  stubbornly  returned  the  American. 

Provarsk  grinned  at  him  with  the  kindliness  of 
a  hungry  wolf;  but  influenced  by  his  prisoner's 
fearless  stare,  paused  to  consider. 

"I'll  tell  you  what  I'll  do,"  said  Kent,  "I'll 
compromise.  You  have  your  friends  put  Ivan  in 
a  comfortable  cell,  and  I'll  not  only  give  you  the 
combination,  but  my  parole.  I'll  agree  that  you 
can  take  me  to  my  own  room,  and  that  I'll  not 
leave  there  without  first  notifying  you  that  I  in- 
tend to  do  so.  How's  that?" 

"This  is  to  be  a  gentleman's  agreement,  is  it, 
Kent?"  Provarsk  asked. 

"It  is." 

"All  right,"  the  conspirator  replied,  "I'll  ac- 
cept it.  Whatever  else  you  are,  I'll  admit  your 
word  is  absolutely  good.  Give  me  the  combina- 
tion." 

[231] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MR.  KENT 

Kent  walked  across  to  his  desk,  sat  down,  and 
with  a  steady  hand  wrote  it  on  a  piece  of  paper, 
blotted  it,  and  passed  it  to  Provarsk.  The  latter 
smiled  lazily,  and  turned  to  the  leading  soldier. 

' '  You  have  heard  the  agreement, ' '  he  said.  ' '  See 
to  it  that  we  keep  our  part.  Have  that  Ivan  put 
in  the  most  comfortable  place  of  confinement  we 
have.  Take  Mr.  Kent  to  his  room,  and  see  that  he 
is  not  disturbed.  Of  course  he  has  no  objections 
to  a  guard  outside  his  door?'* 

"Not  in  the  least, "  Kent  assured  him.  "I  like 
it.  Keeps  me  from  being  lonesome.  Sort  of 
soothing  in  the  dark.  Now,  before  I  retire,  would 
you  mind  telling  me  what  you  are  up  to  this  time, 
and  what  it's  all  about?" 

"Not  in  the  least/'  said  Provarsk  with  the  same 
air  of  courtesy  that  was,  in  itself,  akin  to  insult. 
"What  I  am  up  to  is,  first  of  all,  to  get  rid  of  you. 
I'm  going  to  put  you  out  of  the  kingdom,  and  also 
I've  taken  steps  to  cut  your  claws.  I  secured  the 
address  of  your  employer,  John  Rhodes,  at  65  Re- 
gent street,  London,  West,  yesterday,  and  wrote 
him  enclosing  correspondence  showing  that  you 
had  not  only  made  overtures  to  sell  his  concession 
to  me,  but  had  actually  transferred  it  to  me  for  a 
cash  consideration,  which  I  presumed  was  with  his 
sanction.  I  explained  that  my  object  in  writing 
was  to  have  him  remove  you  to  other  scenes  of 
commercial  activity,  because  you  were  personally 
[232] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MR.  KENT 

obnoxious  to  His  Majesty,  the  king,  and  also  to 
me,  the  chancellor.  Needless  to  say  the  corre- 
spondence I  sent  him  proving  the  sale  of  the  min- 
ing concession,  was  signed  by  yourself.  Unmis- 
takably so." 

Kent's  eyes  opened  with  genuine  astonishment. 
This  was  a  more  adroit  invention  than  he  had 
credited  Provarsk  with  being  able  to  devise.  He 
had  written  to  Rhodes  and ! 

"You  forged  my  name  to  those  letters,  eh?"  he 
asked  hotly.  "Well,  before  I'm  through  with  you 
I'll " 

"Do  nothing!  You  can't;  you  are  helpless. 
I've  got  you,  this  time,  my  smart  Yankee  friend, 
and  got  you  in  such  a  way  that  you  can't  escape. 
When  I  kick  you  out  of  Marken,  you  can  take  your 
choice;  be  tried  by  John  Rhodes  as  a  defaulter 
and  convicted  on  my  evidence  that  the  letters  are 
genuine,  or  put  as  much  distance  as  you  can  be- 
tween yourself  and  your  employer.  That  is  im- 
material to  me,  either  way." 

4 '  But— but  the  king !  He  will  not  submit  to  it ! " 
declared  Kent,  on  the  defensive. 

"The  king?  Poof!  The  king  will  do  as  I  say, 
after  this;  otherwise,  I'll  send  him  trailing  along 
after  you  in  short  order." 

Kent's  face  was  impassive. 

"Take  him  to  his  room  and  let  him  think  it 
over,"  ordered  Provarsk,  with  a  grin.  "Good- 

[233] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

night,  Mr.  Richard  Kent !  I  hope  you  have  a  very 
comfortable  rest.  I  may  call  on  you  in  the  morn- 
ing to  assure  myself  of  your  comfort." 

Kent,  for  once  astonished  at  the  man's  ingenu- 
ity, turned  and  led  the  way  out  with  never  a  word. 
Provarsk  had  proved  a  better  enemy  than  he  had 
believed  him  to  be.  He  could  but  think  of  the 
letter  and  enclosures  to  John  Rhodes  and  remem- 
ber that  the  financier's  reputation  was  that  of  be- 
ing an  inflexibly  hard  and  unrelenting  man  when- 
ever one  of  his  underlings  had  proved  delinquent. 
He  tried  to  recall  whether  John  Rhodes  had  al- 
ways been  just  in  such  cases.  Perhaps  poor 
Barry,  who  had  been  sent  to  an  American  prison 
for  something  similar,  had  been  a  victim  of  some 
other  Provarsk.  And  Simmons,  the  Englishman, 
when  led  from  the  dock  to  serve  his  sentence  of 
three  years  hard  labour,  had  protested  his  inno- 
cence to  the  very  last.  And  both  Simmons  and 
Barry  had  been  master  agents,  entrusted  with 
great  transactions,  enjoying  intimate  acquain- 
tance with  John  Rhodes!  He  looked  very  grave 
and  preoccupied  as  they  escorted  him  through  the 
long,  resounding  corridors  of  the  palace,  dimly 
lighted,  and  suggestive  of  the  long  corridors  of  a 
prison  where  a  man  who  was  innocent  of  the  crime 
for  which  he  had  been  convicted,  might  helplessly 
eat  his  heart  away.  The  very  sound  of  their  foot- 
steps suggested  the  tread  of  warders  and  guards. 
[234] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

A  problem  presented  itself  to  him  in  which  he  at- 
tempted to  stand  aloof  like  an  outside  spectator, 
and  speculate  what  John  Rhodes,  the  richest  and 
most  feared  man  in  the  world,  would  do  upon  the 
receipt  of  such  letters.  Would  he  be  tolerant  and 
kind,  or  severe  and  unrelenting,  with  such  evi- 
dence against  Richard  Kent,  the  trusted  agent, 
who  had  at  last  yielded  to  a  very  great  temptation 
and  gone  wrong? 

His  guard  halted  and  opened  a  door.  Kent 
walked  through  and  closed  it  behind  him.  He  was 
alone  in  his  accustomed  room  with  his  problem. 
And  then  it  occurred  to  him  that  there  is  such  an 
influence  as  justice,  and  that  justice  will  not  be 
denied.  There  was  a  king.  The  king,  though  it 
cost  him  his  throne — though  it  cost  him  every- 
thing he  prized  in  the  world — would  under  such 
circumstances  find  and  confront  Rhodes,  and  de- 
clare it  all  a  lie.  And  Rhodes  under  those  circum- 
stances would  be  compelled  to  believe.  Kent's 
long  and  varied  training  in  reading  men  told  him 
that  the  king  would  prove  a  loyal,  fighting,  stead- 
fast friend,  and  that  in  such  an  outrageous,  dia- 
bolical plan  as  Provarsk's,  this  would  prove  to  be 
the  weak  point  in  the  chancellor's  armour. 

Kent  disrobed,  bathed  the  dust  of  that  stiff 
physical  contest  on  the  garden  path  from  his  face, 
and  climbed  into  bed.  To-morrow  was  merely  to- 

[235] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

morrow,  to  be  met  as  his  judgment  dictated. 
Within  ten  minutes  he  was  sleeping  as  soundly 
as  if  nothing  mattered  and  he  were  but  a  tired 
boy. 


[236] 


CHAPTER  FOURTEEN 

KENT,  breakfasting  in  his  room,  heard  not 
only  the  singing  of  birds  in  the  garden,  but 
a  persistent  and  increasing  monotone  of 
sound  that  pervaded  everywhere,  caused  by  the 
shuffling  of  many  feet  along  the  streets  outside 
the  palace  walls,  the  indistinct  hum  of  many 
voices,  the  grating  of  cart  wheels  over  the  roads, 
and  an  occasional  shrill  call  rising  above  others. 
The  atmosphere  itself  seemed  charged  and  ready 
for  a  single  spark  to  cause  the  explosion  of  revolt. 
At  this  hour  of  the  morning,  ordinarily,  Marken 
would  have  been  absorbed  in  industry,  an  industry 
that  he  had  compelled  and  that  had  become  ha- 
bitual. This  he  thought,  bitterly,  was  the  result 
of  too  much  prosperity.  This  was  the  price  for 
arousing  a  slothful,  shortsighted  people  and  teach- 
ing them  roads  to  wealth  and  ambition.  The 
poorest  churl  in  the  fields  had  learned  the  value 
of  his  own  earning  power  and  profited,  while  oth- 
ers, who  had  been  worse  than  hopeless,  had  seen 
the  way  to  independence.  Kent  wondered  if,  after 
all,  he  had  not  taught  them  greed  instead  of  indus- 
try, independence,  and  patriotism.  He  heard 

[237] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

some  one  coming  rapidly  along  the  corridor,  the 
guard's  heels  coming  to  a  salute,  and  the  door 
opened  and  the  king  entered,  his  whole  person- 
ality radiating  indignation. 

"This  is  an  outrage!"  he  declared.  "I  found 
a  guard  in  front  of  my  door  this  morning  who 
told  me  of  your  arrest  and  confinement  to  your 
room.  He  made  no  objection  to  my  coming  here 
and  so  I  came  at  once.  We  will  go  immediately 
and  have  Provarsk  seized.  Come ! ' ' 

Kent  slowly  shook  his  head. 

"I  can  not,"  he  said.  "I  am  under  parole  of 
honour  to  remain  here." 

The  king  stood  aghast. 

"You  gave  your  word  to  that  treacherous " 

"Yes,  and  shall  keep  it." 

' '  Then  I  will  at  once  go  alone  and  act.    I  '11 '  ' 

1 1  No,  no ;  let  us  consider. ' '    Kent  checked  him. 

"But — but  it  may  mean  revolt!  How  do  we 
know  that  he  has  not  bribed  or  overcome  enough 
of  the  guards;  that " 

"No  fear,"  said  Kent  easily.  "Some  of  them, 
perhaps ;  but  I  have  certain  reason  to  believe  that 
on  Baron  Von  Glutz'  return  there  will  be — um-m- 
mh — a  change  in  the  situation." 

' '  But  Kent !  Kent !  Are  you  mad  ? '  '  demanded 
the  king.  "Time!  Time  is  against  us.  You 
don't  know  what  is  happening!  What  do  you 
[238] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

think  of  this?"  he  cried,  thrusting  a  paper  toward 
the  American. 

Kent  took  it,  said,  "Have  a  seat,  Your  Maj- 
esty," and  read.  It  was  a  proclamation  with  all 
official  seals  and  form,  calling  upon  the  inhabi- 
tants, and  especially  those  employed  in  the  man- 
ganese mines,  to  assemble  in  the  Market  Place  at 
eleven  o'clock  of  that  day,  where  communications 
of  the  utmost  importance  to  their  welfare  and  the 
welfare  of  the  state  would  be  made.  Kent  read  it 
slowly  to  himself,  gave  a  wry  twist  to  his  mouth, 
and  looked  at  his  visitor. 

"I  observe,"  he  said,  with  quiet  meaning,  "that 
it  does  not  end  quite  as  royal  decrees  customarily 
do.  It  does  not  bear  the  words  'God  save  the 
King." 

The  king,  who  had  been  twisting  impatiently  on 
his  chair,  exclaimed,  "No,  it  doesn't.  I  noted  that 
point." 

"When  did  this  appear?"  the  American  asked, 
recalling  the  hour  when  the  attack  had  been  made 
on  him. 

"It  was  posted  up  by  the  chancellor's  orders 
between  one  and  two  o'clock  this  morning.  The 
guard  told  me  so." 

"The  guard,  then,  was  friendly?" 

"Yes,  and  very  much  distressed.  He  apolo- 
gised to  me,  and  said  that  he  could  but  obey  his 

[239] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

orders;  that  he  could  not  understand.  I  called 
him  inside  and  closed  the  door,  and  told  him  to 
tell  me  all  he  knew.  He  did.  He  says  that  Pro- 
varsk  has  won  over  some  of  those  adventurers  he 
first  brought  here,  and  that  they  have  been  talk- 
ing to  all  the  others  in  the  guard  room." 

"Did  this  man  get  any  inkling  of  Provarsk's  in- 
tentions ? ' ' 

"Yes.  Enough  to  cause  him  and  all  the  others 
that  are  loyal  to  be  highly  alarmed.  These  passed 
the  word  around  that  they  believed  they  could 
best  serve  the  throne  and  you  by  obeying  up  to  a 
certain  point.  They  wish  to  know  what  to  do. ' ' 

"But  Provarsk's  intentions?"  interrupted 
Kent,  bringing  the  king  back  to  the  point. 

"Provarsk  is  going  to  announce  this  morning 
that  the  mining  concession  has  been  turned  over 
to  him,  wrested  from  you  and  John  Ehodes  in  be- 
half of  the  people  by  him,  and  he  will  promise  that 
hereafter  the  profits  shall  be  shared  by  those  who 
do  the  work.  After  that  he  proposes  to  inflame 
the  people  to  demonstrate  in  force  and  demand  of 
me  that  a  like  course  shall  be  pursued  with  all 
other  state  holdings,  and  that  those  which  the 
state  does  not  completely  own  shall  be  returned  to 
the  original  or  minority  owners  to  be  run  here- 
after without  state  interference.  My  guard  gath- 
ered all  this  from  stray  talk  made  by  Provarsk 's 
henchmen,  who,  already  certain  of  success,  are  be- 
[240] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

ginning  to  boast  of  the  authority  they  are  going  to 
have. ' ' 

Kent's  eyes  glowed  with  interest. 

"That  guard  of  yours,"  he  declared,  "is  due 
for  a  good  commission  after  this  is  over.  I  seem 
to  have  overlooked  him."  He  meditated  for  a 
moment,  and  then  to  the  king's  surprise,  as  if 
vastly  relieved,  leaned  back  in  his  chair  and 
laughed. 

"Amateur  work,  after  all!"  he  declared.  "I'm 
disappointed!  Provarsk  had  me  guessing,  last 
night.  I  thought  he  was  a  much  cleverer  fighter 
than  I  had  believed  him  to  be.  He  always  boggles 
in  the  end." 

"I  don't  see  the  joke!"  exclaimed  the  king,  but 
more  hopefully. 

' '  Why,  it  is  this  way, ' '  explained  Kent.  ' '  Plain 
as  day  now.  He  poses  as  a  national  benefactor, 
but  no  one  would  be  able  to  tell,  if  he  did  actually 
get  possession  of  the  mines,  what  the  profits  are. 
He  probably  would  divide  up  some  of  the  profits 
as  long  as  it  served  his  purpose.  And  after 

that !"  He  snapped  his  fingers  derisively. 

"In  the  meantime  he  insures  my  being  driven 
from  Marken,  and  forces  you  to  turn  over  every- 
thing that  produces  an  income ;  also  to  let  govern- 
ment controlled  private  industries  revert  to  those 
private  individuals  who  own  the  outside  stock. 
That  includes  the  Marken  mineral  springs  in 

[241] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

which  he  has  invested  every  dollar  he  has  in  the 
world,  and  all  he  could  borrow.  It's  so  easy  now 
that  it's  scarcely  interesting!" 

"But  the  people  don't  know  that  you  have  the 
concession,"  objected  the  king.  "They  think  I 
still  own  the  mines  for  the  state,  and  that  the 
profits  have  been  turned  to  the  redemption  of  the 
state  bonds ;  and  they  are  confident  that  after  the 
bonds  are  redeemed  I'm  going  to  spend  more 
money  for  the  good  of  the  state.  The  minute 
Provarsk  exposes  the  whole  affair,  they  will  lose 
confidence  in  me  and  my  intentions." 

The  American  regarded  the  king's  distress  with 
sympathy. 

"But,  suppose  you  had  never  granted  the  con- 
cession, and  that  you  did  own  the  mines,  free  from 
everything?" 

"As  soon  as  your  bonds  have  been  met,  I'd  give 
them  the  profits — all  of  them !  You  certainly  know 
that  I  do  care  for  my  people  and  am  unselfish !  I 
want  to  be  just  what  they  have  thought  me  to  be, 
Kent,  the  best  king  that  Marken  ever  had!  I 
want  to  be  able  to  do  again  what  I  have  done,  walk 
out  amongst  them,  and  know  that  they  respect  me 
as  a  king,  and  like  me  as  a  man  and  a  friend." 

He  spoke  impassionedly,  voicing  the  hunger  of 
his  mind,  confessing  his  dream,  while  the  Ameri- 
can watched  him  kindly  as  an  elder  brother  might 
[242] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

watch  the  harassments  of  a  younger  one  when 
about  to  tender  sympathy  and  assistance. 

"All  right!"  he  said,  bluntly.  "I  think  we  can 
fix  that  up.  It  may  be  foolish  on  my  part — 
damned  foolish!  But  a  man  can't  pass  through 
this  world  without  being  foolish  once  in  a  while. 
I'm  going  to  give  you  that  concession." 

The  king's  face  expressed  many  emotions,  and 
among  them  solicitous  affection. 

"But — but  Ehodes?"  he  asked  excitedly. 
"What  will  Ehodes  think  of  you?" 

"I've  got  to  take  my  chances  of  squaring  it 
with  him.  Most  always  he  does  about  as  I  want 
him  to.  I've  made  a  lot  of  money  for  John 
Ehodes,  one  time  and  another,  and  he  knows  it. 
Besides,  I  am  going  to  tell  you  something.  The 
last  penny  that  Marken  owed  John  Ehodes,  to- 
gether with  two  per  cent  interest,  was  paid  him 
more  than  a  week  ago.  If,  after  all  that,  he  kicked, 
he'd  be  more  of  a  dog  than  I  ever  suspected  him 
of  being. ' ' 

The  king,  stupefied  by  the  news  that  he  was  free 
from  debt,  gasped,  but  Kent  disregarded  him. 

He  got  up  and  locked  the  door  to  make  certain 
that  he  would  not  be  disturbed,  walked  briskly 
across  the  room  to  a  book  case,  and  spoke  with  the 
proud  delight  of  an  ingenious  boy. 

"Come  here,"  he  said.  "I  want  to  show  you 
something.  Pretty  clever,  I  call  it.  My  own  idea. 

[243] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

Ivan  and  I  did  most  of  the  work.  Now  look  over 
here.  On  this  side  of  the  room,  right  under  the 
mantel — see  this  marble  ornament?  Well,  it's 
nothing  but  a  plain,  common  old  American  electric 
latch;  the  kind  we  have  over  home  when  we  live 
on  the  top  flat  and  want  to  open  the  ground  floor 
door  for  a  caller.  Push  on  it!" 

The  king,  still  speechless,  did  so.  There  was  a 
sharp  click,  and  the  book  case  swung  away  from 
the  wall,  exposing  a  modern  safe  behind  it.  The 
king's  eyes  were  wide  with  curiosity. 

"That's  the  way  she  works,"  Kent  exclaimed, 
proudly.  "Thought  it  out  myself,  for  emergen- 
cies. I  haven't  kept  any  papers  of  importance  in 
the  vault  of  my  office  for  more  than  three  months. 
I'd  give  a  hundred  dollars  to  watch  Provarsk 
when  he  opens  it  with  the  combination  I  gave  him 
last  night.  It's  quite  empty." 

He  chuckled  as  he  bent  over  and  twirled  the 
knob,  pulled  the  heavy  door  open,  brought  out  a 
drawer  and  took  from  it  a  piece  of  paper  that  the 
king  recognised.  He  opened  it  and  glanced  at  it 
to  make  certain  of  its  identity,  held  it  before  the 
king  to  show  what  it  was  and  then  deliberately 
tore  it  to  shreds,  which  he  threw  into  the  fireplace 
and  lighted. 

"There  goes  the  concession,"  he  said,  gazing  at 
the  flames.    "The  manganese  are  yours,  unmort- 
gaged, free  from  all  debt  and  all  obligations." 
[244] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

He  turned  with  a  warm  smile  on  his  face,  and 
silenced  the  king,  who  began  remonstrating. 

"I'll  tend  to  my  part  of  it,"  he  said.  "It's  up 
to  you  to  do  yours.  Let  me  handle  the  situation 
here.  You  must  rush  back  to  your  rooms,  sum- 
mon the  heralds,  get  into  your  state  glory  so  as 
to  be  more  impressive  than  Solomon,  and  hurry 
down  to  the  Market  Place." 

He  consulted  his  watch. 

"You've  no  time  to  lose.  If  I  were  you  I'd 
not  let  them  know  but  that  you  personally  sum- 
moned them.  You'd  better  go  now,  and,  whatever 
you  do,  don't  let  Provarsk  know  you've  been 
here." 

He  fairly  shoved  the  king  toward  the  door, 
hushing  his  protestations  of  gratitude  with  a  gruff 
— "We  can  talk  about  all  that  later.  Not  now! 
Not  now !  Hurry ! ' ' 

He  carefully  closed  the  safe  and  swung  the 
book  case  back  into  its  normal  position,  after 
which,  for  some  minutes,  he  stood  scowling 
thoughtfully  out  over  the  garden,  as  if  formulat- 
ing new  plans,  and  then  walked  slowly  across  to 
the  door  and  opened  it. 

"I'd  like  to  speak  to  you,"  he  said  to  the  guard. 
"Come  inside." 

The  man  hesitated,  looked  up  and  down  the  cor- 
ridor and  grinned.  Kent  was  secretly  pleased 
and  knew  that  he  was  not  mistaken  in  his  surmise 

[245] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

that  one  who  had  always  been  ready  to  betray 
for  money  would  do  so  again  to  the  highest  bidder. 
The  man  entered  and  closed  the  door  behind  him, 
with  a  look  of  cupidity  in  his  eyes. 

'  *  You  are  out  for  money ! ' '  Kent  said  brusque- 
ly. "I'm  goin'g  to  make  it  worth  your  while  to  go 
at  once,  get  my  man  Ivan  and  bring  him  here. 
You  can  tell  the  sentry  it's  Provarsk's  order.  If 
you  do  that  within  the  next  fifteen  minutes,  you 
get  five  thousand  francs  in  gold  and  no  one  the 
wiser.  Can  you  do  it?" 

The  man  Hook  another  look  into  the  corridor, 
seemed  satisfied,  and  said:  "How  will  you  pay 
me?" 

"You  know  that  I  keep  my  word,  don't  you?" 
Kent  retorted.  "I  tell  you  I'll  pay  you  the  min- 
ute Ivan  is  in  this  room!" 

The  mercenary  hesitated,  scratched  his  head 
and  took  the  plunge.  He  ran  on  tiptoe  down  the 
hall.  Kent  hastened  to  his  secret  safe,  and  took 
therefrom  some  rolls  of  coin  and  waited.  His 
bribe  was  effective,  for  within  the  time  Ivan  ap- 
peared and  the  guard  took  the  bribe  money  with  a 
chuckle  and  left  them. 

"Ivan,"  Kent  said  in  the  soundless  speech  he 
employed  when  they  were  alone,  "I  rather  think 
that,  within  a  short  time,  Provarsk  will  be  here 
and  our  interview  may  not  be  pleasant.  Go  into 
my  dressing  room  there  and  leave  the  door  ajar 
[246] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

sufficiently  to  observe  what  takes  place.  If  he 
gets  ugly,  I  may  need  you. ' ' 

"I  understand,"  said  the  giant,  nodding  hig 
head.  "And  I  shall  be  there  if  needed.  Is  that 
all?" 

"Yes,"  replied  Kent,  "that's  all.  And,  Ivan, 
be  wary  of  him  if  you  do  have  to  come  out.  I 
don 't  believe  that  man  likes  you !  'Pon  my  word 
I  don't!  And  if  he  could,  he  might  try  to  hurt 
you. ' ' 

Ivan's  mouth  opened  into  a  wide  grin,  as  he 
went  to  Kent's  dressing  room  and  pulled  the  door 
carefully  shut,  save  for  a  tiny  crack.  Kent  paced 
restlessly  about  the  room,  pausing  once  to  admire, 
absently,  as  he  had  done  a  hundred  times  before, 
the  intricate  carvings  of  a  huge  wooden  screen, 
that  formed  a  snug  little  corner.  Time  was  mov- 
ing and  he  wondered  why  Provarsk  did  not  ap- 
pear, for  he  confidently  expected  him.  Had  that 
astute  gentleman  discovered  the  counter  move 
that  was  being  made  against  him,  and  taken  steps 
for  its  circumvention?  It  did  not  seem  possible. 

With  brisk  elation  he  heard  a  tap  on  the  door 
and  when  the  sentry  entered  looked  expectantly 
over  his  shoulder,  confident  that  Provarsk  was 
there. 

"Her  Eoyal  Highness,  the  Princess  Eloise," 
announced  the  sentry,  and  the  American  was 

[247] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

troubled  as  he  bade  the  man  open  the  door  for  her, 
and  himself  moved  toward  it. 

She  entered  hurriedly  and  closed  the  door  be- 
hind her.  Her  anxiety  and  excitement  were 
marked. 

"Tell  me,"  she  said,  hastily  advancing,  "what 
has  taken  place.  Karl  had  no  time.  He  told  me 
to  come  here  and  ask  you.  Why  is  there  a  sen- 
try?" 

"Princess  Eloise,"  he  said  quietly,  "I  am  un- 
der arrest  by  Provarsk's  orders ;  but  your  brother 
and  I  have  taken  steps  that  will  render  him  very 
harmless." 

She  looked  at  him  with  pronounced  consterna- 
tion that  was  augmented  when  he  added,  "Steps 
also  that  render  my  remaining  longer  in  Marken 
unnecessary,  so  I  shall  soon  be  going." 

"In  the  midst  of  such  an  emergency?" 

"I  do  not  believe  it  will  be  an  emergency  very- 
long,"  he  said,  gravely.  "And  I  do  not  believe 
that  after  to-day  I  shall  be  needed.  Therefore  I 
expect  to  leave  Marken  within  a  few  days." 

"But  you  can't!"  she  insisted,  desperately. 

A  slow  change  came  over  his  face,  the  change 
that  his  intimates  in  big  affairs  would  have  called 
his  "Poker  face,"  a  face  that  would  be  wooden 
regardless  of  whatever  depression,  elation,  craft 
or  plan  passed  through  his  mind. 
[248] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

"Nevertheless,"  he  replied,  quietly,  "I  am  go- 
ing!" 

"Surely  not!"  she  expostulated.  "I  don't  be- 
lieve it.  It's  as  if  you  were  beaten — were  run- 
ning away ! ' ' 

4 'Perhaps  it  may  look  that  way — now,"  he  said, 
watching  to  see  the  effect  of  his  words. 

The  princess'  distress  increased.  Her  hands 
came  together,  and  he  saw  that  her  slender  fingers 
had  interlocked  as  though  by  this  grip  to  obtain 
strength  for  repression.  He  would  have  given  all 
that  was  his  to  have  caught  them  in  his  own  strong 
palms  and  to  have  comforted,  soothed,  and  reas- 
sured her,  but  he  dared  not.  He  had  schooled 
himself  to  the  knowledge  that  from  her  viewpoint 
he  was  but  a  capable  money  lender,  possibly  a 
good  friend,  while  she  was  that  product  of  nur- 
turing and  breeding,  a  princess  royal.  His  rebel- 
lion at  this  condition  brought  out  a  trifle  of  that 
controlled  savagery  that  made  him  strong. 

"Why  should  I  stay  here  any  longer,"  he  asked, 
"when  all  I  came  to  do  is  done ?  I  have  paid  John 
Ehodes  every  cent  of  his  money.  That  was  my 
mission,  was  it  not?  That  and  nothing  more." 

She  lifted  her  head  and  regarded  him  with  as- 
tonishment. His  immobile  face  bespoke  no  in- 
ward hesitation.  Nothing  but  calm  purpose.  He 
was  inscrutable.  She  sustained  a  conflict  of  emo- 

[249] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

tions,  but  all  her  respect  and  liking,  so  slowly  up- 
built, were  wounded  by  his  words. 

"I  thought,"  she  said  hesitantly,  "that  you 
had  remained  for  something  more — than  that.  I 
thought  friendship,  a  liking  for  a  great  work,  a 
happiness  in  doing  something  worth  while,  had 
been  reasons. " 

He  smiled  but  did  not  answer.  She  interpreted 
his  silence  as  an  admission  that  she  had  been  mis- 
taken in  her  estimate  of  him,  and  that  he  had  been 
imbued  with  nothing  but  selfish  motives.  She 
spoke  regretfully,  now,  and  he  saw  that  her  re- 
serve was  breaking;  that,  tried  and  distressed, 
she  was  giving  way. 

"I  thought  we  meant  something  to  you,  my 
brother  and  I !  And  I  tried  to  be  worthy  of  what 
I  thought  you  were.  I  believed  you  to  be  the  great- 
est man  I  had  ever  known !  Karl  would  have  done 
anything  for  you.  I  would " 

She  paused,  twisted  her  fingers  still  harder  and 
then  looked  at  him  with  eyes  like  those  of  a  hurt 
child,  candid,  outspoken  in  humiliated  confession. 
' '  I  would  have  given  anything  to  have  you  be  my 
friend,  as  you  have  been  Karl's."  She  paused, 
bit  her  lip,  then  impetuously  clenched  her  hands 
and  with  sheer  recklessness  added,  "I  would 
have  given  much  more — to  have  helped  you — al- 
ways. If  you  had  failed  and  been  beaten,  hon- 
ourably fighting,  I  would  have  liked  to  go  to  you, 
[2501 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

and  put  my  hand  in  yours,  and  walk  with  you  in 
defeat !  I  was  sick  of  illusion — of  sham  royalty — 
of  polite  lies !  I  wanted  your  esteem !  Yours  I  all 
of  it !  And  now,  I  despise  myself  for  it ! ' ' 

She  stopped,  choked  by  her  own  humiliation, 
and  looked  at  him ;  but  his  eyes  were  on  the  floor, 
his  hands  hanging  listlessly  open,  his  heavy  shoul- 
ders and  stalwart  frame  inert,  and  passive,  as  if 
all  she  had  confessed,  and  all  her  scorn,  were  not 
capable  of  moving  him.  For  a  long  time  she  stood 
thus,  quivering,  while  he  stood  dumbly  before  her. 
The  chirping  of  birds  in  the  sunlit  gardens  out- 
side, the  slow  measured  footsteps  of  the  sentry  in 
the  corridor  without,  and  that  ominous,  distant 
hum  of  Marken  itself  came  to  them  accentuated 
in  volume  by  their  own  silence.  The  echoes  of  her 
voice,  like  the  appealing  sobs  of  disillusionment 
coming  from  a  hurt  heart,  died  away  like  the  last 
faint  sounds  of  a  requiem.  Dumbly,  like  one  as- 
tounded by  some  overwhelming  surprise,  he  lifted 
his  head  and  met  her  eyes.  All  the  old  bravery 
was  gone  from  them.  Gone,  too,  all  the  old  mock- 
ery, the  old  readiness  of  response,  the  quick  ac- 
ceptation of  overchanging  chance.  Something  in 
their  great  seriousness,  in  their  very  depths,  made 
her  catch  her  breath.  She  saw  that  he  was  hum- 
bly, yet  desperately,  fighting  to  speak ;  that  words 
were  being  sought  and  that  none  satisfied. 

There  was  a  clamorous,  insolent  note  added  to 

[251] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MR.  KENT 

that  murmuring  diapason  of  sound  that  swept 
monotonously  through  the  room,  the  sound  of 
some  one  clanking  his  way  through  the  outer  cor- 
ridor. It  stormed  his  ears  like  the  call  of  a  trum- 
pet announcing  battle.  It  whirled  him  back  to  his 
own  sphere  of  action,  where  men  were  to  be  met, 
where  a  fight,  the  fight  he  knew  as  a  veteran,  was 
imminent.  His  hands  shot  forward  and  caught 
hers,  and  his  big  body  became  endowed  with  a 
suggestion  of  bent  steel,  alive,  ready  to  spring. 
He  was  the  master  again. 

"Listen!"  he  commanded  her,  his  words  crowd- 
ing one  upon  the  other.  *  *  Go  quickly  behind  that 
screen  and  sit  down !  Hurry !  Sit  there  and  hear 
what  is  said.  Say  nothing!  My  honour  in  your 
eyes  may  depend  upon  it — and  that — is  more  to 
me  than  everything  else  in  the  world.*7 

He  caught  her  by  the  shoulders  in  his  strong 
hands,  whirled  her,  bewildered,  across  the  few 
steps  intervening,  thrust  her  into  an  easy  chair 
behind  the  screen,  and  was  out  again  toward  the 
door  through  which  Provarsk  was  entering  and 
which  he  locked  behind  him.  She  heard  Kent's 
voice,  cool,  casual,  greeting  his  sole  opponent. 

"Well,"  it  said,  "I've  been  expecting  you.  Did 
you  open  that  vault  yet?" 

Provarsk  laughed;  but  not  with  mirth. 

"Yes,  I  opened  it.     And  found  just  what  I 
rather  expected.     Nothing." 
[252] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

"Disappointed?"  queried  the  American,  with 
cool  insolence. 

"Not  much,"  came  the  ready  reply  with  equal 
coolness.  "The  way  you  passed  the  combination 
over  was — well — significant. ' ' 

"Suppose  we  sit  down,"  Kent  suggested. 
""We've  got  quite  a  lot  of  things  to  discuss,  haven't 
we?" 

"That  depends  on  you.  Of  course  if  you  are 

quite  amenable I  seem  to  be  in  the  position 

of  strength.  I'll  listen  to  anything  you've  got  to 
offer." 

' '  You  '11  listen  ?  That 's  good.  If  you  only  came 
to  listen,  why  did  you  come  at  all  ?  Say,  Provarsk ! 
You  don't  think  I'm  fool  enough  to  believe  you 
came  here  merely  on  a  polite  visit,  do  you?  Just 
because  you  wanted  to  hear  the  sweet  sound  of 
my  voice?  You  came  because  I've  got  things  you 
want.  Things  you  think  I  might  trade.  Things 
that  if  you  don't  get,  might  upset  your  little  pile 
of  bricks  and  tip  you  over  into  the  gutter.  Come, 
let's  not  try  to  play  blind  man's  buff.  What  are 
you  after?  What  card  do  you  need  to  fill  your 
flush?" 

"Pretty  fair  talk  for  a  man  who  is  shut  in  his 
own  room  under  arrest,"  commented  Provarsk. 
"What  is  it  the  English  call  it — Swank.  Yes, 
that 's  it.  Bluff,  I  think  you  style  it,  you  Yankees. ' ' 

' '  Not  at  all, ' '  Kent  insisted,  seriously.  ' '  A  real 

[253] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

bluff  is  where  you  haven't  got  the  goods,  but  try 
to  make  the  other  fellow  believe  you  have.  Swank, 
on  the  contrary,  is  merely  an  exaggeration  of  what 
you  possess.  Neither  word  is  applicable,  because 
I've  got  what  you  have  to  have.  I  under  arrest? 
Poof!  That's  nothing,  because  I've  got  what  is 
known  as  the  moral  supremacy,  the  initiative. 
Also  because  you  are  afraid  of  me  and  that  I 
might  possibly  kick  your  apple  cart  with  a  lot 
of  freckled  wares  into  the  garbage  pile." 

"Good!"  gaily  responded  the  baron.  "Quite 
good!  Nothing  like  frank  admission  to  get  to  a 
business  basis,  is  there?  You  can  make  it  a  lot 
more  certain  for  me.  And  in  return  I  can  at  least 
make  it  certain  that  you  shall  have  a  chance  to 
wander  farther  afield  with  a  whole  hide." 

"And  if  I  don't  prove  agreeable?"  questioned 
Kent. 

"Then,"  declared  the  conspirator,  with  a  great 
air  of  regret,  "I  am  afraid  you  won't  wander  any- 
where at  all.  About  the  cheapest  thing  in  Marken 
is  a  lot  in  the  cemetery." 

"Um-m-mh,"  mused  the  American.  "If  you 
are  so  certain  of  your  ground,  I  can't  quite  see 
why  you  bother  with  me.  You  wouldn't  do  it. 
No,  indeed!  You'd  order  the  lot." 

"Eight  again,"  cheerfully  agreed  the  baron. 

"Well,  then  let's  get  down  to  brass  tacks.  What 
are  you  after?" 
[254] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

Provarsk  got  up  and  began  to  move  abont  the 
room,  much  to  Kent's  disturbance. 

"Sit  down,"  he  said.  "I  don't  like  to  talk  busi- 
ness to  a  man  who  is  running  a  race  with  himself." 

Provarsk  sat  down  and  came  straight  to  the 
point. 

* '  I  can  get  your  transfer  of  that  mining  conces- 
sion whether  you  give  it  or  not,"  he  said,  mean- 
ingly. 

"In  the  same  way  you  got  my  signatures  to 
letters  I  never  wrote,  eh?" 

"Exactly,"  admitted  Provarsk,  with  a  grin. 
"But  it  might  save  some  further  trouble  with 
your  employer,  John  Rhodes,  if  I  actually  got  the 
transfer  from  you." 

"I  believe  you  are  right  about  that,"  Kent 
agreed.  "But  you  haven't  yet  explained  where  I 
come  in.  I'm  not  fool  enough  to  believe  you  are 
doing  this  for  the  good  of  the  state,  you  know." 

"Of  course  I'm  not!"  Provarsk  declared,  con- 
temptuously. "I'm  doing  it  for  my  own  good 
and  no  one's  else." 

"How  do  you  propose  to  handle  the  king!"  de- 
manded Kent. 

"He'll  have  to  do  what  I  want  him  to,  for  the 
simplest  of  reasons,  that  I  shall  have  the  people 
behind  me.  He'll  get  nothing!  He  can  be  king. 
That's  enough  for  him." 

' '  Yes  ? ' '  said  Kent,  invitingly.  * '  Now  about  me, 

[255] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

You  have  already  written  to  Rhodes.    Do  I  get 
nothing,  too?" 

"That's  just  what  I'm  coming  to,"  observed 
the  baron.  "You've  been  a  good  gamester,  but 
you've  lost,  all  the  way  round.  You  and  I  agree 
on  just  one  thing,  which  is  that  either  of  us  keeps 
his  word  when  he  can  do  so.  That's  right,  isn't 
it?" 

"Yes,  I  think  it  is." 

"Then  if  I  gave  you  my  word  as  a  gentleman 
on  anything,  you'd  accept  it,  wouldn't  you?" 

"I  think  I  should." 

"Very  well,  that  simplifies  matters.  The  king 
has  been  getting  ten  per  of  the  net  revenues  from 
the  mines.  From  now  on  he  gets  nothing,  and  you 
shall  have  five  per  cent  hereafter,  to  be  for- 
warded to  you  wherever  you  choose  to  hide  from 
Rhodes,  provided  that  you  give  me  that  conces- 
sion. Only,  of  course,  you've  got  to  stay  away 
from  Marken.  That's  understood  in  any  event." 

With  a  studied  air  of  deliberation  Kent  looked 
up  at  the  ceiling,  until  Provarsk  began  to  move 
restlessly. 

The  latter  consulted  his  watch  and  got  hastily 
to  his  feet. 

"I've  no  further  time  to  waste  in  politeness," 
he  declared,  with  sharp  emphasis.    "I  shall  give 
you  just  five  minutes  more  in  which  to  decide." 
[256] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

"Why  this  haste?  Got  anything  important  to 
do?"  asked  Kent  in  bland  surprise. 

"I  have,"  asserted  the  baron,  crisply. 

"Well,  Provarsk,  you  can  spare  yourself  the 
trouble,"  said  Kent  with  the  utmost  sarcasm.  "I 
know  your  full  plans.  I  even  surmised  you  might 
try  to  seize  me  and  instructed  Von  Glutz,  who,  by 
the  way,  will  be  on  hand  with  sufficient  strength 
to  act  this  very  morning,  that  unless  it  became  a 
question  of  saving  my  life  he  was  not  to  interfere 
with  you.  With  the  exception  of  perhaps  a  half 
dozen  men,  the  palace  guard  is  still  loyal  and 
awaiting  my  orders.  I  could  have  summoned  as- 
sistance last  night  with  a  single  call!" 

Provarsk  looked  incredulous.  He  concealed  the 
fear  that  slowly  gripped  him,  and  snapped  his 
fingers. 

"Bluffing  again,"  he  said.  "Come,  my  time  is 
up." 

' '  Going  to  read  a  proclamation  to  the  people,  or 
anything  like  that?  If  so  you  may  as  well  save 
yourself  the  trouble.  By  this  time  the  king  is 
already  reading  his." 

Provarsk 's  face,  at  this  statement,  went  white 
with  rage. 

"You  lie!"  he  shouted. 

"I  don't,"  calmly  disputed  Kent,  in  his  turn 
arising  to  his  feet.  "I've  already  returned  him 
his  concession  and  he  is  by  this  time  presenting 

[257] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MR.  KENT 

the  manganese  mines,  gratis,  to  the  citizens  of 
Mark  en.  Another  thing!  You  needn't  worry 
about  what  John  Rhodes  might  do  to  me.  I  hap- 
pen to  be  John  Rhodes,  myself!  You  are " 

There  was  a  shout,  a  curse,  a  woman's  scream 
and  a  pistol  shot  sounding  together  in  confusion. 
Provarsk,  infuriated,  had  whipped  a  gun  from  his 
pocket  so  unexpectedly  that  Ivan  had  not  time  to 
reach  him ;  but  the  princess  had,  with  desperation, 
flung  the  screen  heavily  against  Provarsk 's  arm, 
and  the  bullet,  deflected  from  its  mark,  spattered 
itself  in  minute  particles  of  flying  lead  over  the 
tiled  floor.  Outside,  the  sentry  battered  clamour- 
ously  on  the  stout  door.  In  the  debris  of  the  screen 
two  men  now  struggled  furiously,  Ivan  and  Pro- 
varsk, the  latter  striving  with  desperate  intent  to 
twist  his  pinioned  hand  once  more  in  Kent's  di- 
rection, and  swearing  that,  no  matter  what  hap- 
pened, he  would  at  least  kill  him.  His  persistence 
angered  the  giant,  who  had  seized  his  forearm, 
and  now  threw  him  to  the  floor.  With  a  roar  like 
that  of  a  charging  lion  he  seemed  for  the  first  time 
to  exert  his  full  strength.  He  was  unswerving  and 
pitiless.  His  huge  right  shoulder  suddenly  lifted 
until  the  muscles  of  his  neck  were  swollen  and 
rigid,  there  was  the  harsh  snap  of  breaking  bones, 
an  agonised  scream  from  Provarsk,  and  Kent 
leapt  forward. 

"Ivan!  Ivan!"  he  shouted,  forgetting  that  the 
[258] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

latter  could  not  hear.  The  princess  backed  away 
against  the  wall,  with  a  stare  of  fascinated,  ex- 
pectant horror;  for  Ivan,  with  all  the  hatred  he 
had  sustained  for  the  chancellor  unleashed,  was 
intent  on  killing  him  this  time,  regardless  of 
Kent's  entreaties.  He  snatched  the  pistol  from 
the  floor  and  despite  Kent's  efforts  planted  the 
muzzle  against  Provarsk's  temple.  He  tried  to 
discharge  it;  but  in  his  haste  had  unwittingly 
thrown  the  safety  clutch.  Provarsk,  helpless  be- 
neath him,  glared  upward  with  eyes  that  did  not 
quail.  The  curious,  reckless,  fearless  daring  of 
the  man  did  not  desert  him  in  the  least  now  that 
he  was  at  the  end.  Kent  caught  Ivan's  arm  in 
both  his  own,  but  the  enraged  giant  threw  him  off, 
dexterously  dropped  the  pistol,  caught  it  by  the 
muzzle,  and  lifted  his  arm  high  above  his  head 
intent  on  crushing  Provarsk's  skull  with  the  butt 
of  the  weapon.  Quick  as  light,  Kent  saw  his  op- 
portunity, and  caught  the  upraised  wrist  from 
behind,  threw  all  his  weight  against  it,  and  slowly 
bent  Ivan  sidewise  from  over  his  victim.  The 
giant,  though  taken  at  this  disadvantage,  yielded 
only  inch  by  inch,  overborne  by  the  strength  of 
Kent  that,  with  any  ordinary  man,  would  have 
been  overpowering.  Kent's  jaws  were  set  until 
the  muscles  of  his  cheeks  shone  in  knots  and  his 
eyes  were  aflame. 

"Let  me  kill  him!    For  God's  sake,  don't  inter- 

[259] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

fere!"  Ivan  shouted,  and  then,  pleading  for  the 
privilege  of  destroying  Provarsk,  was  toppled 
over,  breathing  hoarsely,  and  looking  up  into 
Kent's  face.  Slowly  the  red  flame  burned  out  of 
his  eyes,  as  he  recovered  control  of  himself.  The 
pistol  fell  from  his  hand,  and  the  princess,  with  a 
spring  as  graceful  as  a  leopard's  seized  it  and 
retreated  to  a  safe  distance. 

" Promise  me  that  you  will  not  hurt  him,  Ivan! 
I  tell  you  not  to !  Are  you  mad,  man  T ' ' 

"I  promise,"  said  Ivan,  sullenly,  but  relaxing 
himself,  and  Kent  arose.  Ivan  got  slowly  to  his 
feet,  with  a  stare  of  hatred  and  defeated  intent 
at  Provarsk,  who  was  painfully  trying  to  extricate 
himself  from  the  pieces  of  splinted  screen. 

Kent  put  his  hand  firmly,  but  gently,  beneath 
him  and  assisted  him  to  his  feet,  and  then  to  a 
chair.  There  was  no  need  to  ask  his  condition. 
The  loosely  swinging  arm  told  its  own  story. 

The  door  gave  way  under  a  fresh  onslaught  and 
several  guardsmen  fell  into  the  room.  Behind 
them  could  be  seen  two  others  holding  Provarsk 's 
mercenary  between  them.  Kent  smiled  grimly 
and  said,  '  *  Thank  you,  men ;  but  I  do  not  require 
your  help.  Pull  what's  left  of  the  door  shut  and 
at  once  go  and  arrest  or  kill  Provarsk 's  hired  men. 
Leave  one  man  on  guard  outside  in  case  I  want 
him." 
[260] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

They  saluted  and  obeyed  with  convincing  alac- 
rity. 

"Pro\arsk,"  said  Kent,  "I'm  very  sorry!  I 
didn't  wish  that  done  to  you." 

"That's  all  right,  Rhodes,  or  Kent,  if  you  pre- 
fer it.  It's  nothing  to  what  I  wanted  to  do  to 
you,"  gamely  retorted  the  baron. 

"Or  nothing  compared  to  what  Ivan  wanted  to 
do  to  you,"  remarked  Kent. 

"Why  didn't  you  let  him  finish  it?  In  your 
place  I  should  have  done  so,"  Provarsk  asserted, 
without  rancour,  and  clutching  his  shattered  arm. 

"Because,"  declared  Kent,  with  quiet  dignity, 
"I  have  punished  you  enough.  You  are  finished 
as  it  is.  Somehow,  I'm  sorry!  You're  a  game 
man,  Baron,  and — I  like  them.  I  shall  send  for  a 
surgeon." 

"Oh,  may  as  well  put  that  off  for  a  few  min- 
utes," the  chancellor  said,  wincing  with  a  physical 
pain  that  barely  exposed  itself  in  his  level  voice. 
"May  as  well  tell  me  the  worst." 

"There's  not  much  more  to  tell,"  Kent  said, 
gently.  "Only  that  I've  beaten  you  past  any 
chance  of  your  coming  back.  By  this  time  you 
are  not  even  the  chancellor,  I  think.  I  fancy  Von 
Glutz,  the  loyal,  has  come  back  to  his  own.  And 
you  are  broke.  Broken  like  an  empty  egg  shell!" 

Provarsk  shut  his  teeth,  tried  to  get  his  arm 
to  a  less  painful  position,  attempted  a  brave  smile, 

[261] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MR.  KENT 

and  said,  "I  think  not.  The  Marken  Mineral  Com- 
pany, my  dear  Mr.  Ehodes " 

"Is  worthless!  I  couldn't  quite  forgive  your 
trying  to  bribe  my  secretary,  Provarsk.  That 
wasn't  playing  the  game.  I  went  after  you  on 
that.  It's  a  rule  of  finance  to  get  a  man  who  tries 
to  bite  your  leg  under  the  table.  I  got  you !  The 
only  unprofitable,  completely  worthless  enterprise 
in  Marken,  is  the  one  in  which  you've  put  every 
dollar  you  could  get.  I  saw  to  that.  I  kept  it 
going  at  a  total  loss  just  for  your  benefit.  You're 
not  worth  a  copper  centime.  You'll  have  to  bor- 
row money  to  buy  your  railway  ticket  out — unless 
— unless  I  relent.  Maybe  I  shall.  There  are  a 
lot  of  things  I  like  about  you.  There  are  a  lot  of 
places  where  I  can  use  brave  men,  if  they  are  will- 
ing to  be  honest,  and  you  are  at  least  brave. ' ' 

"I  don't  think,"  said  the  baron,  biting  his  lip 
to  hide  his  mental  and  physical  pain,  ' '  that  I  can 
accept  anything  from  you;  but  I  will  say  this— 
just  to  show  you  that  in  my  way  I  am  fair — if  I 
can  ever  learn  this  game  you  play — this  thing  of 
finance,  and  I  can  find  any  way  to  have  another 
go  at  you,  I'll  do  it!  And — and  while  I'm  doing 
it,  all  the  time,  I  '11  like  and  admire  you,  and— 
He  shut  his  teeth  savagely  in  a  determined  effort 
to  subdue  the  giddiness  and  weakness  that  was 
mastering  him,  and  then,  with  a  long  sigh,  fell 
sideways  and  would  have  fallen  to  the  floor  had 
[2621 


THE  UNKNOWN  MR.  KENT 

not  Kent  leapt  forward  and  caught  him  in  his 
arms. 

He  picked  him  up  as  if  he  were  of  no  weight, 
and  strode  across  the  room,  followed  by  the  prin- 
cess, and  Ivan,  whose  eyes  had  roved  from  lip 
to  lip  seizing  the  spoken  words. 

11  Princess  Eloise,"  the  American  called  anxious- 
ly over  his  shoulder,  u  please  summon  some  one  to 
help  me.  And  also  a  surgeon.  Send  them  to  my 
private  room.  And — and — "  he  stammered  des- 
perately— "wait  for  me — here!" 

Her  face  flushed,  as  if,  in  this  turmoil,  she  had 
interpreted  some  hidden  significance  in  his  words ; 
but  she  ran  across  the  room,  called  the  sentry  from 
the  corridor,  and  Kent  heard  her  words. 

"Send  two  men  from  the  guard  room  at  once 
to  assist  Mr.  Kent.  Then  go — quickly — as  fast  as 
you  can,  and  summon  the  court  surgeon.  Hurry! 
Mr.  Kent  asks  you  to.  Go  quickly!" 

Ivan  closed  the  door,  dumbly,  and  the  sound  of 
her  voice  was  cut  off. 

"Here,  Ivan,"  Kent's  lips  moved  as  he  turned 
,his  head  toward  his  follower  from  the  side  of  his 
own  bed  on  which  he  had  deposited  the  chancellor. 
"Help  me  to  get  his  clothes  off,  while  he  is  un- 
conscious. You  should  not  have  done  this.  I 
can't  fire  you,  because  after  a  fashion  you  and  I 
are  pals.  But  I'd  give  i*  thousand  dollars  to  be 

[263J 


THE  UNKNOWN  MR.  KENT 

big  enough  to  take  it  out  of  your  hide,  you  big, 
ill-tempered  chump!" 

And  Ivan,  knowing  a  lot  that  was  not  embodied 
in  his  employer's  speech,  and  having  absorbed 
that  strange  but  true  philosophy  of  Owen  Wister's 
conveyed  through  the  Virginian,  merely  grinned 
and  began  unlacing  the  baron's  shoes. 


[264] 


CHAPTER  FIFTEEN 

THE  PRINCESS  ELOISE  tiptoed  to  the 
shattered  hall  door,  and,  with  infinite  care, 
passed  through  and  closed  it  behind  her. 
Then,  hesitant,  perturbed,  distressed,  she  looked 
down  the  long  reaches,  lonely  as  a  deserted  ave- 
nue, as  if  considering  a  direction  for  flight.  She 
paused,  torn  between  the  tugging  hand  of  con- 
vention and  desire,  that  dragged  her  in  diverse 
ways.  Convention  urged  her  that  she  was  of  the 
blood  of  proud  and  lasting  kings,  certain  to  find 
her  place  upon  some  potent  throne,  inevitably 
destined  to  rule,  endowed  by  nature,  and  trained 
religiously  to  that  small  caste  whose  slightest  wish 
becomes  a  necessity  with  the  people  beneath.  But 
desire  cried  aloud  that  all  was  vain,  all  happiness 
lost,  the  world  barren,  the  future  a  desert,  if  now 
she  closed  her  ears  to  the  cry  of  her  heart.  A 
choice  of  queendom  lay  before  her;  one  over  a 
vast  number  whom  she  might  serve,  and  assist, 
with  a  high  nobility  of  purpose,  and  the  other  over 
one  subject,  a  strange,  brusque,  many-sided  man 
who  would  give  of  strength,  and  soul,  and  fealty, 
all  that  he  had  to  give  and  if  need  be,  uncomplain- 

[265] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

ingly  as  a  duty,  reverently  as  a  sacrifice,  his  life. 
Life  stretched  before  her  like  the  corridor,  in 
two  directions,  each  leading  from  the  other.  Stead- 
ily, with  clear  eyes  and  clarity  of  mind,  she 
weighed  one  route  against  the  other,  and  then,  with 
bent  head,  and  tremulous  breath,  she  made  her  de- 
cision. She  turned,  retraced  her  steps,  opened  the 
door  very  gently,  stepped  inside  the  room  she 
had  left,  and  closed  the  door  behind.  Kent,  grave, 
embarrassed,  and  yet  determined,  came  but  a  mo- 
ment later  from  his  sleeping  chamber,  and  closed 
the  door  leading  to  it;  but  not  with  his  habitual 
directness  and  decision.  This  was  not  the  man  she 
had  seen  confidently  striding  his  way,  staring  di- 
rect with  the  radiation  of  personal  power  and 
purpose,  intent  on  some  goal  beyond  other  eyes. 
Instead,  there  was  about  him  a  curious  attitude  of 
awkwardness,  appeal  and  reverence,  a  strange  lack 
of  confidence.  For  an  instant  only  she  forced 
herself  to  meet  his  eyes.  They  cried  their  mes- 
sage to  hers  across  the  silent,  waiting  room.  The 
sounds  of  the  outside  world,  in  which  that  day 
the  future  of  a  nation  was  being  irrevocably  de- 
cided, became  hushed  and  still.  She  seemed  to 
hear  in  that  same  soundless  silence  the  struggle 
of  his  mind  as  it  fell  upon  and  conquered  his 
tongue.  Forced  by  decision  to  meet  this  porten- 
tous issue,  she  heard  him  coming  toward  her.  His 
voice  sounded  as  if  reaching  her  from  a  long  dis- 
[266] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

tance,  so  quiet,  so  gentle,  so  grave  it  was  in  this 
decisive  moment  of  its  existence. 

"You,"  it  said,  "are  a  princess.  I  am  nothing, 
save  that  which  I  am — a  man  who  has  done  his 
best.  A  plebeian  man,  Princess  Eloise,  because 
all  that  I  have  tried  and  all  that  I  have  done,  may 
seem  insignificant  in  your  eyes.  But  what  I  am, 
I  am." 

The  voice  paused  in  that  time  she  stood  with 
hands  crossed  above  her  breast  not  daring  to  lift 
her  eyes  to  his;  paused  as  if  gathering  power  to 
find  the  way. 

"I  should  not  dare  to  speak,"  it  proceeded, 
more  firmly,  "had  you  not  said  what  you  did  a 
while  ago.  You  said  that  you  would  have  given 
anything  for "  he  hesitated  and  spoke  scarce- 
ly above  a  whisper,  as  if  a  repetition  of  her  words 
were  profanation,  as  if  he,  a  penitent,  approached 
slowly  on  hands  and  knees  to  confession.  "You 
said  that  you  would  have  given  anything  for  my 
friendship,  for  my  esteem !  That  you  had  wanted 
to  help  me — always!"  He  spoke  the  last  word 
like  one  reading  the  ultimate  word  of  life  from 
the  open  book  of  destiny,  laid  once  before  us  all. 
"Oh,  Eloise!"  he  cried  with  a  tenderness  beyond 
all  she  had  dreamed,  "I  am  like  that  poor,  foolish 
juggler  of  Notre  Dame,  who,  unable  to  do  more 
than  juggle  gay  balls  upon  his  hands  and  feet, 
yet  dared  toss  them  at  the  shrine  of  Our  Lady, 

[267] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

and  thus  gave  all  he  had  to  give !  I  am  helpless ! 
I  am  nothing,  in  this  fight — the  only  one  from 
which  I've  ever  flinched.  I  wanted  to  go  before 
I  gave  myself  away;  but  you  said — you  said " 

He  stopped  and  she  knew  that  the  poet  soul  of 
him  that  had  been  so  scrupulously  concealed  from 
all  the  world,  was  bursting  its  way,  released  by 
the  alchemy  of  love,  to  his  last  abashed  declara- 
tion. She  waited  intent  on  what  he  might  say, 
this  man  who  had  posed  through  all  his  life  as  one 
without  sentiment,  hard,  inflexible,  masterful,  and 
who  now  for  the  first  time  was  stripping  nude  his 
spirit. 

''Do  you  know,"  he  said,  "I've  always  been 
ashamed  of  something  that  I  liked — something  I 
read.  It  seemed  too  fine  to  say  aloud;  but  it's 
what  I  want  to  say  now : 

"I  am  he  that  cries  aloud  beneath  your  gates, 
"With  eyes  uplifted  to  the  moon,  the  night,  your 

castle  walls. 
"No  beggar  I  for  paltry  dole!    No  suppliant  for 

paltry  favours, 

"Worthless,  ephemeral,  and  indifferently  thrown. 
"I  ask  all  you  have;  all  you  have  been;  all  you 

are; 

"All  that  you  may  ever  be. 
"I  am  that  throbbing  thing  of  love, 
"Venturesome,  calling  for  its  own." 

[268] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MR.  KENT 

There  was  a  child 's  bashfulness  and  simplicity 
in  his  declamation.  He  spoke  as  if  ashamed  to 
voice  those  inner  and  concealed  sentiments  that 
he  had  so  studiously  veiled  throughout  his  life. 
Nothing  hut  the  quick  knowledge  that  she  had 
seen  him  as  he  was  in  truth,  kept  her  from  laugh- 
ing at  him.  And  then  there  came  to  her  the  rea- 
lisation, not  without  a  sense  of  triumph,  that  she 
knew,  beyond  all  others,  this  strange,  reticent,  re- 
tiring man  whose  very  name  had  been  feared  by 
some  of  those  esteemed  as  powerful.  That  of 
her  alone,  in  all  the  world,  he  stood  in  awe. 

"If  I  had  known  then  who — who  you  really 

were "  she  faltered.  "If — if  I  had  not  been 

so  terribly  disappointed,  I  should  not  have  said 
what  I  did." 

She  paused ;  but  without  ever  looking  up  at  him 
she  knew  that  he  recoiled  as  from  a  blow.  And 
then,  bravely,  she  took  the  plunge,  and  added  in 
a  voice  that  was  scarcely  louder  than  the  exquisite 
sound  of  the  wind's  fingers  playing  upon  a  harp, 
"But  now  that  I  know  my  mistake,  and  that  you 
have  not  been  defeated,  I — I  have  nothing  to  re- 
tract." 

She  heard  him  coming  slowly  toward  her,  and 
lifted  her  eyes  to  his  grim,  rugged,  homely  face, 
and  beheld  it  transfigured  like  the  top  of  some 
weather-scarred  crag  suddenly  illumined  by  sun- 
light. The  warmth  and  majesty  of  a  great  love 

[269] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MR.  KENT 

were  there,  the  imperative  will  to  seize,  and  to 
shield,  and  the  longing  to  prove  worth  by  sacrifice. 

He  would  have  taken  her  hand,  awkwardly,  as 
some  poor  courtier  might;  but  nothing  less  than 
full  relinquishment  was  in  her  heart.  And  so  she 
lifted  her  arms  swiftly  upward,  caught  his  face 
for  a  long  moment  between  her  hands,  looked 
•deeply  into  his  eyes  and  then,  contented  with  what 
she  saw,  bent  farther  toward  him,  and  was  caught 
and  held. 

Forgetful  of  all  else,  deaf  to  all  else,  they  had 
not  heard  the  roaring  tumult  that  came  sweeping 
toward  the  palace,  increased  in  the  crescendo  of 
proximity,  and  that  now  suddenly  burst  over- 
whelmingly upon  their  ears  in  terrifying  volume. 
It  sounded  as  if  something  had  gone  wrong ;  as  if 
revolt  had  in  full  strength  rushed  upon  them.  They 
turned  and  hastened  to  the  window.  The  great 
garden  of  the  palace  had  been  invaded  by  a  mob 
of  people,  the  foremost  of  whom  rushed  excitedly 
to  places  beneath  the  windows,  while,  rapidly, 
other  waves  surged  behind,  closed  in,  and  became 
more  dense  until  even  the  walls  were  mounted  by 
upthrown  crests.  For  a  moment  it  was  difficult 
to  distinguish  the  character  of  that  tremendous 
shouting,  or  to  know  whether  menace  or  approval 
was  the  dominant  note.  And  then,  suddenly,  a 
red-faced  man  who  had  been  crowded  into  the 
basin  of  a  fountain  climbed  triumphantly  to  its 
[270] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

top,  where  he  stood  silhouetted  against  the  sky, 
waved  his  arms,  and  in  a  stentorian  voice  that 
swept  over  all  else  began  to  sing  the  national 
anthem.  Instantly  other  voices  took  it  up,  until 
to  the  beating  of  time  by  that  lone  figure  aloft  it 
became  united,  and  overpowering,  battering  the 
walls,  the  trees,  and  the  skies  with  stately  blows. 
The  lips  of  the  Princess  Eloise  quivered  and  her 
eyes  filled  with  tears  of  emotion.  Kent  felt  his 
hands  clenching  as  he  caught  the  meaning,  and 
knew  that  it  was  an  ovation  to  the  king ;  but  even 
then  he  could  not  understand  why  the  giving  of 
the  mines  had  so  stirred  the  people.  His  door  was 
jerked  open  unceremoniously,  and  the  king  ran 
in,  followed  by  Paulo  and  Von  Glutz,  all  appear- 
ing scarcely  less  excited  and  jubilant  than  those 
below. 

At  sight  of  his  sister  and  Kent,  the  king  waved 
his  state  sword  above  his  head  and  saluted  the 
hilt  with  his  lips. 

"Marken!  Marken!"  he  shouted  as  gallantly 
as  any  of  his  mailed  ancestors  might  have  done 
when  announcing  victory  after  battle. 

""What  have  you  done?"  demanded  Kent,  once 
more  the  cool  man  of  affairs. 

"I've  gone  you  one  better,  my  friend,  and  acted 
without  any  one's  advice.  I've  not  only  done  as 
you  suggested,  but  I've  taken  a  long  step  farther. 
I've  told  them  that,  without  their  asking  it,  and 

[271] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

because  I  have  faith  in  them,  I  surrender  all  arbi- 
trary rights  of  the  crown  and  that  from  this  time 
henceforth  Marken  is  to  be  a  liberal  government, 
in  which  the  people  are  to  exercise  their  own  judg- 
ment and  powers,  and  that  not  even  England  her- 
self can  boast  of  greater  freedom  and  democracy. 
I  Ve  given  them  their  liberty.  Marken  is  no  longer 
an  autocracy!'* 

He  paused,  proud  of  the  effect  he  had  pro- 
duced, and  saw  the  great  approval  that  shone  from 
his  sister's  eyes ;  but,  before  he  could  proceed,  the 
doughty  old  Von  Glutz  took  up  the  tale. 

"That's  not  all!  He  didn't  tell  you  all!"  he 
roared.  "His  Majesty  ended  by  telling  them  that 
if  they  chose  they  could  even  do  away  with  a  king 
and  make  Marken  a  republic.  That  was  when  they 
first  shouted  so  loudly,  and  what  they  yelled  was, 
'No!  No!  God  save  the  king!  God  save  Karl  the 
Great ! '  And — by  the  Lord  Almighty !  They  meant 
it !  They  stormed  the  platform.  They  lifted  him 
up  and  carried  him  in  their  arms.  Old  women 
cried  and  knelt  at  his  feet.  They  held  their  dirty 
babies  up  for  him  to  touch.  And  then  some  of  the 
women  began  to  shout,  'God  save  the  Princess 
Eloise!'  and  that  started  them  all  off  again.  The 
king  got  himself  heard  at  last  and  told  them  that 
the  credit  was  not  his.  That  they  owed  it  all  to 
you,  Kent.  And  then  Karl  did  a  fool  thing.  Told 
[272] 


THE  UNKNOWN  MB.  KENT 

them  that  you  two  were  here  and  that  the  palace 
grounds  were  open.    Listen !    Hear  that ! ' ' 

The  song  had  ceased  and  great  shouts  were 
again  storming  them. 

"The  Princess  Eloise!  Our  Princess  Eloise!" 
and  "Kent!  Kent!  Kent!" 

They  saw  him,  the  man  who  loathed  publicity, 
quail  like  a  bashful  youth,  and  saw  the  princess 
catch  his  hand  and  almost  drag  him  toward  the 
balcony.  Then  he  seemed  to  recall  something  that 
must  be  done  and  braced  himself,  and  strode  for- 
ward. He  stopped  abruptly  just  inside  the  door 
and  motioned  to  the  king.  The  king  smiled  and 
stepped  out,  followed  by  the  princess.  Like  the 
abrupt  discharge  of  heavy  guns  the  noise  renewed 
as  Kent  followed  them,  and  Von  Glutz  and  Paulo, 
rigid,  unmoved,  came  behind  and  took  their  posts 
in  the  background  like  watch  dogs  of  state. 

Kent  stepped  to  the  edge  of  the  balcony  and 
lifted  his  hand  for  silence,  the  same  heavy,  un- 
faltering man  that  had  addressed  them  on  one 
other  occasion,  when  he  mentally  derided  them  and 
then  disappeared.  Again,  as  then,  his  great  voice 
reached  them  like  some  enormous  trumpet;  but 
now  there  was  nothing  of  cynicism  or  dema- 
goguery  in  his  words,  no  jesting  with  their  igno- 
rance. 

"His  Majesty  Karl  Second " 

[273] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

"God  Save  Karl  the  Great !"  they  corrected 
him. 

" — has  told  you  that  you  owe  much  of  what  has 
been  to-day  given  you,  to  me.  With  all  respect 
for  His  Majesty's  word,  I  wish  to  tell  you,  flatly, 
that  it  is  not  so.  I  did  nothing.  You  owe  it  all 
to  him.  All  I  did  was  to  advise  regarding  the 
employment  of  your  industries.  I  approve  of  his 
grant  of  self-government,  for  I  am  an  American ; 
but  I  am  as  surprised  as  were  you  that  he  gave  so 
freely." 

They  interrupted  him  with  cheers,  while  he 
stood  watching  them,  and  evidently  waiting  to  add 
something  more. 

"You  owe  me  nothing,"  he  declared.  "But  to 
others  you  owe  much.  You  owe  Her  Royal  High- 
ness, the  Princess  Eloise,  for  her  advice " 

and  again  they  interrupted  him  with  cheers. 

"You  owe  to  a  much  misunderstood  man,  a 
nobleman,  steadfast,  loyal  and  true,  a  great  pay- 
ment for  his  unfaltering  devotion  to  the  king,  to 
you  and  to  his  duty ;  and  to  his  plain  honesty  you 
are  indebted  beyond  all  words.  I  speak  of  Baron 
VonGlutz!" 

He  did  not  look  around  in  that  mad  interim  when 
again  they  shouted ;  but  had  he  done  so  would  have 
seen  that  the  baron  was  for  once  abashed  to  dumb- 
ness. All  that  he,  plain,  simple  old  man,  had  ever 
[274] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

asked,  was  to  serve  as  best  he  might,  careless  of 
reward. 

"Beyond  this,'*  continued  the  voice,  "you  must 
not  forget  the  services  of  as  good  a  Minister  of 
Treasury  as  has  ever  conducted  the  affairs  of  a 
people  or  a  king,  Captain  Philidor  Paulo."  • 

In  a  cheering  mood,  they  cheered  again. 

"And  from  now  on  you  owe  it  to  yourselves, 
and  your  king,  to  those  who  have  done  the  best 
they  could  for  you,  to  make,  by  continued  indus- 
try and  integrity,  the  kingdom  of  Marken  great. 
The  king  has  made  no  mistake.  You  were  not  fit 
to  conduct  yourselves  a  year  ago.  Many  of  you 
were  idle,  lazy  and  indifferent.  It  required  the 
inflexibility  of  an  autocrat  to  arouse  you.  An 
autocrat  is,  after  all,  but  a  nurse.  Once  the  neces- 
sity for  a  nurse  passes,  it  passes  for  all  time. 
You  are  a  nation  now,  known  and  respected  by 
the  whole  world.  It  rests  with  you  whether  that 
respect  shall  continue,  and  respect  is  a  thing  that 
accumulates  or  diminishes  in  just  proportion  to 
your  deeds.  It  does  not  stand  still.  The  respect 
given  a  nation  is  not  measured  by  the  breadth 
of  its  lands,  or  by  what  it  owns.  It  is  measured 
by  the  acts  of  the  individuals  who  compose  it. 
No  man  dare  act  otherwise  than  as  a  representa- 
tive of  his  nation.  On  him  individually  rests  the 
good  name  of  his  nation.  He,  as  a  unit,  is  as 
responsible  for  its  reputation,  as  is  the  king  him- 

[275] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

self.  It  is  by  his  individual  acts  that  his  country 
is  estimated.  I  ask  you  to  remember  my  words 
and  to  consider  them  when  alone,  that  you  may 
find  the  right  way,  in  this  hour  of  your  assump- 
tion of  great  responsibilities,  to  each  adjust  his 
own  personal  life  to  the  demands  of  a  high  stand- 
ard." 

The  crowd  beneath  had  become  hushed  and 
thoughtful  as  he  shot  his  words  out  to  them.  They 
expected  in  that  grave  moment  that  he  would  say 
more ;  but,  as  if  daunted  by  his  own  temerity  and 
unwonted  publicity,  he  abruptly  stopped,  and  like 
one  suddenly  frightened,  turned  and  fled.  The 
man  on  the  fountain  again  lifted  his  hands  and 
sang  with  that  far-reaching  voice.  Again  they 
joined  him  with  a  new  fervour,  containing  in  its 
volume  some  enormous  throb,  quite  without  ex- 
citement, quite  grave  in  its  sincerity. 

The  king,  regardless  of  everything,  forgetful 
of  all  save  the  terrific  song  which  for  centuries 
had  led  his  people  to  the  heights  of  endeavour, 
there  to  be  crowned  with  death  or  victory,  shut  his 
eyes,  threw  his  head  back  and  sang  with  them. 
With  a  final  outpouring  of  fervent  wishes,  the 
crowd  saw  him  pass  through  the  door,  followed 
last  of  all  by  the  white-headed  old  baron.  The 
noise  died  away,  and  the  palace  gardens  began 
to  empty.  The  king  looked  around  the  room  for 
[276] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

Kent.  He  was  not  to  be  seen.  As  if  mortified 
by  his  own  moralising,  he  had  gone. 

The  door  of  the  room  adjoining  stood  ajar  and 
the  king  walked  to  it,  looked  in,  and  halted  in 
astonishment.  Kent  was  standing  alone  by  the 
side  of  his  bed,  in  which  lay  Provarsk.  The  king 
hesitated  for  an  instant  and  then  turned  and  tip- 
toed away.  The  broken  screen  caught  his  glance 
and  he  paused  above  it,  observing  that  Von  Glutz 
and  Paulo  were  both  inspecting  the  same  object. 

The  baron  looked  around  with  his  slow  eyes, 
and  pointed  at  the  tiny  dent  in  the  tiles,  bordered 
with  splotches  of  lead,  and  called  attention  to  it 
with  a  significant  smile. 

"That,"  he  said,  "I  take  to  be  the  last  shot 
of  the  last  revolt  in  Marken." 

The  king  saw  the  American  once  more  that  day. 
It  was  after  twilight,  dusk  and  a  full  moon  had 
followed  one  another  across  the  trail  of  the  skies. 
In  the  distance,  where  Marken  huddled  and  shoul- 
dered on  its  hills,  could  be  heard,  mellowed,  but 
expressive,  the  faint  sounds  of  revelry.  Great 
rockets  marked  fiery  courses  in  the  night  and 
then  showered  upon  the  red  roofs  their  softly  float- 
ing and  multi-hued  rain  of  stars.  Sometimes 
above  the  murmur  of  the  notes  of  a  military  band 
might  be  heard,  bearing  through  the  distance,  airs 
of  triumphant  peace.  Very  soothing  they  sounded 
to  the  king,  who,  exhausted  by  his  day  of  excite- 

[277] 


THE  UNKNOWN  ME.  KENT 

ment  and  work,  strolled  meditatively  in  the  garden 
that  had  so  short  a  time  before  been  trampled  by 
the  feet  of  a  people  freed.  Here  had  his  ambition 
been  achieved  in  that  hour  when  his  subjects 
shouted  to  him  their  esteem.  Here  they  had 
voiced  more  than  esteem,  and  given  him  an  out- 
spoken affection.  With  that,  all  things  could  be 
accomplished. 

He  took  a  shorter  way  through  the  masses  of 
roses,  and  came  to  a  secluded  path  on  which  the 
moon  seemed  to  peer  intent.  He  stopped  short 
and  bent  forward,  unconsciously  eavesdropping. 
Those  were  familiar  voices,  and  familiar  shapes, 
those  of  the  princess  walking  with  the  American, 
whilst  their  arms,  outlined  in  sombre  black,  and 
silken  white,  were  around  each  other's  waists. 
The  king  stepped  into  the  path  behind  them  and 
gave  a  loud  * '  Ahem ! ' ' 

Startled,  and  confused,  they  fell  apart  as  they 
faced  him.  There  was  but  a  moment's  hesitancy, 
and  John  Rhodes,  recovering,  closed  the  space 
between  him  and  the  Princess  Eloise,  and  caught 
her  waiting  hand  in  his. 

"By  your  leave,  Sire,"  he  said,  to  the  king. 

"Sir,"  said  the  king,  "the  honour  is  mine!" 


THE   END 


[278] 


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Anna  the  Adventuress E.  Phillips  Oppenheim 

Armchair  at  the  Inn,  The F.  Hopkinson  Smith 

Ariadne  of  Allan  Water Sidney  McCaU 

At  the  Age  of  Eve Kate  T.  Sharber 

At  the  Mercy  of  Tiberius Augusta  Evans  Wilson 

Auction  Block,  The Rex  Beach 

Aunt  Jane  of  Kentucky Eliza  C.  Hall 

Awakening  of  Helena  Ritchie Margaret  Deland 

Bambi Marjorie  Benton  Cooke 

Bandbox,  The Louis  Joseph  Vance 

Barbara  of  the  Snows Harry  Irving  Green 

Bar  20 Clarence  E.  Mulford 

Bar  20  Days Clarence  E.  Mulford 

Barrier,  The Rex  Beach 

Beasts  of  Tarzan,  The Edgar  Rice  Burroughs 

Beechy Bettina  Von  Hutten 

Bella  Donna Robert  Hichens 

Beloved  Vagabond,  The Wm.  J.  Locke 

Ben  Blair Will  Lillibridge 

Beth  Norvell Randall  Parrish 

Betrayal,  The E.  Phillips  Oppenheim 

Better  Man,  The Cyrus  Townsend  Brady 

Beulah  (III.  Ed) Augusta  J.  Evans 

Black  Is  White George  Barr  McCutcheon 

Blaze  Derringer Eugene  P.  Lyle,  Jr. 

Bob  Hampton  of  Placer Randall  Parrish 

Bob,  Son  of  Battle Alfred  Ollivant 

Bowl,  The Louis  Joseph  Vance 


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Buck  Peters,  Ranchman Clarence  E.  Mulford 

Business  of  Life,  The Robert  W.  Chambers 

Butterfly  Man,  The George  Barr  McCutcheon 

By  Right  of  Purchase Harold  Bindloss 

Obbages  and  Kings O.  Henry 

Cab  No.  44 R.  F.  Foster 

Calling  of  Dan  Matthews,  The Harold  Bell  Wright 

Cape  Cod  Stories Joseph  C  Lincolr 

Cap'n  Eri Joseph  C.  Lincoln 

Cap'n  Warren's  Wards Joseph  C.  Lincoln 

Carayaners.  .Author  of  Elizabeth  and  Her  German  Garden 

Cardigan Robert  W.  Chambers 

Carmen (Geraldine  Farrar  Edition) 

Carpet  From  Bagdad,  The Harold  MacGrath 

Cash  Intrigue,  The George  Randolph  Chester 

Castle  by  the  Sea,  The H.  B.  M.  Watson 

Claw,  The Cynthia  Stockley 

C.  O.  D Natalie  Sumner  Lincoln 

Colonial  Free  Lance,  A. Chauncey  O.  Hotchkiss 

Coming  of  the  Law,  The Chas.  A.  Seltzer 

Conquest  of  Canaan,  The Booth  Tarkington 

Conspirators,  The Robert  W.  Chambers 

Counsel  for  the  Defense Leroy  Scott 

Crime  Doctor,  The E.  W.  Hornung 

Cry  in  the  Wilderness,  A Mary  E.  Waller 

Cynthia  of  the  Minute Louis  Joseph  Vance 

Dark  Hollow,  The Anna  Katharine  Green 

Dave's  Daughter Patience  Bevier  Cole 

Day  of  Days,  The Louis  Joseph  Vance 

Day  of  the  Dog,  The George  Barr  McCutcheon 

Depot  Master,  The Joseph  C.  Lincoln 

Desired  Woman,  The Will  N.  Harben 

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Dixie  Hari Will  N.  Harben 

El  Dorado Baroness  Orczy 

Elusive  Lsabel .Jacques  FutrelM 


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Eye  of  Dread,  The Payne  Erskine 

Eyes  of  the  World,  The Harold  Bell  Wright 

Far  Horizon,  The Lucas  Malet 

54-40  or  Fight Emerson  Hough 

Fighting  Chance,  The Robert  W.  Chambers 

Financier,  The Theodore  Dreiser 

Flamsted  Quarries Mary  E.  Waller 

Flying  Mercury,  The Eleanor  M.  Ingram 

For  a  Maiden  Brave Chauncey  C.  Hotchkiss 

Four  Million,  The O.  Henry 

Four  Pool's  Mystery,  The Jean  Webster 

Fruitful  Vine,  The Robert  Hichens 

Get-Rich-Quick  Wallingford G.  R.  Chester 

Gilbert  Neal Will  N.  Harben 

Girl  From  His  Town,  The Marie  Van  Vorst 

Girl  of  the  Blue  Ridge,  A Payne  Erskine 

Girl  Who  Lived  in  the  Woods,  The M.  B.  Cooke 

Girl  Who  Won,  The Beth  Ellis 

Glory  of  Clementina,  The Win.  J.  Locke 

Glory  of  the  Conquered,  The Susan  Glaspell 

God's  Country  and  the  Woman /.  O.  Curwood 

God's  Good  Man Marie  Corelli 

Going  Some Rex  Beach 

Gold  Bag,  The Carolyn  Wells 

Golden  Web,  The Anthony  Partridge 

Gordon  Craig Randall  Parrish 

Greyfriars  Bobby Eleanor  Atkinson 

Guests  of  Hercules C.  N.  and  A.  M.  Williamson 

Hakyone Elinor  Glyn< 

Happy  Island  (Sequel  to  Uncle  William) /.  Lee 

Havoc E.  Phillips  Oppenheim. 

Heart  of  the  Desert,  The Honore  Willsie 

Heart  of  the  Hills,  The John  Fox,  Jr. 

Heart  of  Philura Florence  Morse  Kingsley 

Heather-Moon,  The C.  N.  and  A.  M.  Williamson 

Her  Infinite  Variety Brand  W  hillock 

Her  Weight  in  Gold George  Barr  McCutcheon 

Herb  of  Grace Rosa  Nouchette  Carey 


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Hidden  Children,  The Robert  W.  Chambers 

Highway  of  Fate,  The Rosa  N.  Carey 

Homesteaders,  The Kate  and  Virgil  D.  Boyles 

Hoosier  Volunteer,  The Kate  and  Virgil  D.  Boyles 

Hopalong  Cassidy Clarence  E.  Mulford 

House  of  Happiness,  The Kate  Langley  Bosher 

House  of  the  Whispering  Pines A.  K.  Green 

Hugh  Wynne,  Free  Quaker S.  W.  Mitchell,  M.D. 

Husbands  of  Edith,  The George  Barr  McCuttheon 

Illustrious  Prince,  The E  Phillips  Oppenheim 

Imposter,  The John  Reed  Scott 

In  Defiance  of  the  King Chauncey  C.  Hotchkiss 

Indifference  of  Juliet,  The Grace  S.  Richmond 

Inez  (111.  Ed.) Augusta  J.  Evans 

Infelice Augusta  Evans  Wilson 

Initials  Only Anna  Katharine  Green 

Innocent ^ Marie  Corelli 

Intriguers,  The Harold  Bindloss 

Iron  Trail,  The Rex  Beach 

Iron  Woman,  The Margaret  Deland 

Ishmael  (111.) Mrs.  Southworth 

Island  of  Regeneration,  The Cyrus  Townsend  Brady 

Island  of  the  Stairs,  The Cyrus  Townsend  Brady 

Japonette Robert  W.  Chambers 

Jane  Cable George  Barr  McCutcheon, 

Jeanne  of  the  Marshes E.  Phillips  Oppenheim 

Jennie  Gerhardt Theodore  Dreiser 

Joyful  Heatherby Payne  Erskine 

Jude  the  Obscure Thomas  Hardy 

Judgment  House,  The .Gilbert  Parker 

Keith  of  the  Border Randall  Parrish 

Kent  Knowles:  "Quahaug" Joseph  C.  Lincoln 

Kingsmead Bettina  Von  Hutten 

Knave  of  Diamonds,  The Ethel  M.  Dell 

Ladder  of  Swords,  A Gilbert  Parker 

Lady  and  the  Pirate,  The Emerson  Hough 

Lady  Betty  Across  the  Water  C.  N.  and  A.  M.  Williamson 

Lady  Merton,  Colonist Mrs.  Humphry  Ward 

Land  of  Long  Ago,  The Eliza  Calvert  Hall 

Last  Shot,  The Frederick  N.  Palmer 


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Last  Trail,  The  (new  edition) Zane  Grey 

Last  Voyage  of  the  Donna  Isabel Randall  Parrish 

Laughing  Cavalier,  The Baroness  Orczy 

Life  Mask,  The Author  of  "To  Af.  L.  G." 

Lighted  Way,  The E.  Phillips  Oppenheim 

Lin  McLean Owen  Wister 

Little  Brown  Jug  at  Kildare Meredith  Nicholson 

Lone  "Wolf,  The Louis  Joseph  Vance 

Lonesome  Land B  Af.  Bower 

Lord  Loveland  Discovers  America. 

C.  N.  and  A.  M.  Williamson 

Lorraine Robert  W.  Chambers 

Lost  Ambassador E.  Phillips  Oppenheim 

Lost  Road,  The Richard  Harding  Davis 

Lost  World,  The A.  Conan  Doyle 

Loves  of  Lady  Arabella Mollie  Elliott  Seawell 

Loves  of  Miss  Anne,  The S.  R.  Crockett 

Love  Under  Fire Randall  Parrish 

Macaria  (111.  Ed.) Augusta  ].  Evans 

Mademoiselle  Celeste Adele  F.  Knight 

Maids  of  Paradise,  The Robert  W.  Chambers 

Maid  of  the  Forest,  The Randall  Parrish 

Maid  of  the  Whispering  Hills Vingie  E.  Roe 

Mam'  Linda Will  N.  Harben 

Man  Outside,  The Wynd ham  Martyn 

Marriage H.  G.  Wells 

Marriage  a  la  Mode Mrs.  Humphry  Ward 

Marriage  of  Theodora,  The Mollie  Elliott  Seawell 

Mary  Moreland Marie  Van  Vorst 

Master  Mummer,  The E.  Phillips  Oppenheim 

Max Katherine  Cecil  Thurston 

Maxwell  Mystery,  The Carolyn  Wells 

Mediator,  The Roy  Norton 

Memoirs  of  Sherlock  Holmes A.  Conan  Doyle 

Mischie"  Maker,  The E.  Phillips  Oppenheim. 

Miss  Gibbie  Gault Kate  Langley  Bosher 

Miss  Philura's  "Wedding  Gown F.  Af.  Kingsley 

Miss  Selina  Lue Maria  Thompson  Daviess 

Molly  McDonald Randall  Parrish 

JWoney  Moon,  The Jeffsrv  Farnol 


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Motor  Maid,  The C.  N.  and  A.  M.  Williamson 

Moth,  The William  Dana  Orcutt 

Mountain  Girl,  The Payne  Erskine 

Mr.  Bingle George  Barr  McCutcheon 

Mr.  Grex  of  Monte  Carlo E.  Phillips  Oppenheim 

Mr.  Pratt Joseph  C.  Lincoln 

Mr.  Pratt's  Patients Joseph  C.  Lincoln 

Mrs.  Red  Pepper Grace  S.  Richmond 

My  Demon  Motor  Boat George  Fitch 

My  Friend  the  Chauffeur. .  .  .C.  N.  and  A.  M.  Wilttamson 

My  Lady  Caprice '.  .Jeffrey  Farnol 

My  Lady  of  Doubt Randall  Parrish 

My  Lady  of  the  North Randall  Parrish 

My  Lady  of  the  South Randall  Parrish 

Mystery  Tales Edgar  Allan  Poe 

Ne'er- Do- Well,  The Rex  Beach 

Net,  The Rex  Beach 

New  Clarion,  The 'Will  N.  Harben 

Night  Riders,  The Ridgwell  Cullum 

Night  Watches W.  W.  Jacobs 

Officer  666 B.  W.  Carrie  and  A.  McHugh 

Once  Upon  a  Time Richard  Harding  Davis 

One  Braver  Thing Richard  Dehan 

One  Way  Tratil,  The Ridgwell  Cullum 

Otherwise  Phyllis Meredith  Nicholson 

Out  of  the  Primitive Robert  Ames  Bennet 

Pair  of  Silk  Stockings Cyril  Harcourt 

Palace  of  Darkened  Windows M.  H.  Bradley 

Pardners Rex  Beach 

Parrot  &  Co Harold  MacGrath 

Partners  of  the  Tide Joseph  C.  Lincoln 

Passionate  Friends,  The H.  G.  Wells 

Patience  of  John  Moreland,  The Mary  Dillon 

Patrol  of  the  Sun  Dance  Trail Ralph  Connor 

Paul  Anthony,  Christian Hiram  W  Hayes 

People's  Man,  A E.  Phillips  Oppenheim 

Perch  of  the  Devil Gertrude  Atherton 

Peter  Ruff E.  Phillips  Oppenheim 

Phillip  Steele James  Oliver  Curwood 

Phra  the  Phoenician Edwin  L.  Arnold 


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Pidgin  Island Harold  MacGrath 

Place  of  Honeymoons,  The Harold  MacGrath 

Plunderer,  The Roy  Norton 

Pole  Baker Will  N.  Harben 

Pool  of  Flame,  The Louis  Joseph  Van^e 

Polly  of  the  Circus Margaret  Mayo 

Poppy Cynthia  Stockley 

Port  of  Adventure C.  N.  and  A.  M.  Williamson 

Postmaster,  The Joseph  C.  Lincoln 

Power  and  the  Glory,  The Grace  McGowan  Cooke 

Price  of  Love,  The Arnold  Bennett 

Price  of  the  Prairie,  The Margaret  Hill  McCarter 

Prince  of  Sinners,  A A.  Phillips  Oppenheim 

Princess  Dehra,  The John  Reed  Scott 

Princess  Passes,  The C.  N.  and  A.  M.  Williamson 

Princess  Virginia,  The C.  N.  and  A.  M.  Williamson 

Prisoners  of  Chance Randall  Parrish 

Purple  Parasol,  The George  Barr  McCutcheon 

Ranch  at  the  Wolverine,  The B.  Af .  Bower 

Ranching  for  Sylvia Harold  Bindloss 

Reason  Why,  The Elinor  Glyn 

Red  Cross  Girl,  The Richard  Harding  Davis 

Redemption  of  Kenneth  Gait Will  N.  Harben 

Red  Lane,  The Holman  Day 

Red  Mist,  The Randall  Parrish 

Red  Mouse,  The Wm.  Hamilton  Osborne 

Red  Pepper  Burns Grace  S.  Richmond 

Red  Republic,  The Robert  W.  Chambers 

Return  of  Tarzan,  The Edgar  Rice  Burroughs 

Rejuvenation  of  Aunt  Mary,  The Anne  Warner 

Rim  of  the  Desert,  The Ada  Woodruff  Anderson 

Rise  of  Roscoe  Paine,  The ^ Joseph  C.  Lincoln 

Road  to  Providence Maria  Thompson  Daviess 

Robinetta Kate  Douglas  Wiggin 

Romance  of  a  Plain  Man,  The Ellen  Glasgow 

Rocks  of  Valpre,  The Ethel  M.  Dell 

Rose  in  the  Ring,  The George  Barr  McCutcheon 

Rose  of  the  World Agnes  and  Egerton  Castle 

Rose  of  Old  Harpeth Maria  Thompson  Daviess 

Hound  the  Corner  in  Gay  Street C.  S.  Richmond 


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Routledge  Rides  Alone Will  L.  Comfort 

St.  Elmo  (111.  Ed.) Augusta  J.  Evans 

Salamander,  The Owen  Johnson 

Second  Violin,  The. Grace  S.  Richmond 

Secret  of  the  Reef Harold  Bindloss 

Secrets  of  the  German  War  Office Dr.  A.  K.  Graves 

Seffy John  Luther  Long 

Self-Raised  (111.) Mrs.  Southworth 

Septimus William  J.  Locke 

Set  in  Silver C.  N.  and  A.  M.  Williamson 

Sharrow .Bettina  Von  Hutten 

Shea  of  the  Irish  Brigade Randall  Parrish 

Shepherd  of  the  Hills,  The Harold  Bell  Wright 

Sheriff  of  Dyke  Hole,  The Ridgwell  Cullum 

Ship's  Company W.  W.  Jacobs 

Silver  Horde,  The Rex  Beach 

Simon  the  Jester William  J.  Locke 

Siren  of  the  Snows,  A Stanley  Shaw 

Sir  Richard  Calmady Lucas  Malet 

Sixty-First  Second,  The Owen  Johnson 

Speckled  Bird,  A Augusta  Evans  Wilson 

Slim  Princess,  The George  Ade 

Spirit  in  Prison,  A Robert  Hichens 

Spirit  of  the  Border,  The  (new  edition) Zane  Grey 

Spoilers,  The Rex  Beach 

Still  Jim Honore  Willsie 

Stolen  Singer,  The Martha  Bellinger 

Stooping  Lady,  The Maurice  Hewlitt 

Story  of  Marco,  The Eleanor  H.  Porter 

Strange  Disappearance,  A Anna  Katharine  Green 

Strawberry  Acres Grace  S.  Richmond 

Strawberry  Handkerchief,  The Amelia  E.  Barr 

Streets  of  Ascalon,  The Robert  W.  Chambers 

Sunshine  Jane Anne  Warner 

Susan  Clegg  and  Her  Friend  Mrs.  Lathrop A.  Warner 

Sword  of  the  Old  Frontier,  A Randall  Parrish 

Tales  of  Sherlock  Holmes A.  Conan  Doyle 

Tarzan  of  the  Apes Edgar  R.  Burroughs 

Taste  of  Apples,  The Jennette  Lee 

Tempting  of  Tavernake,  The E.  P.  Oppanheim 


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Tess  of  the  D'Urbervilles Thos.  Hardy 

That  Affair  Next  Door Anna  Katharine  Green 

That  Printer  of  Udell's Harold  Bell  Wright 

Their  Yesterdays Harold  Bell  Wright 

Three  Brothers,  The Eden  Phillpots 

Throwback,  The Alfred  Henry  Lewis 

Thurston  of  Orchard  Valley Harold  Bindloss 

Title  Market,  The Emily  Post 

To  M.  L.  G.;  or,  He  Who  Passed Anon. 

Torn  Sails:  A  Tale  of  a  Welsh  Village Allen  Raine 

Trail  of  the  Axe,  The Ridgwell  Cullum 

Trail  to  Yesterday,  The Chas.  A.  Seltzer 

Treasure  of  Heaven,  The Marie  Corelli 

Trevor  Case,  The Natalie  Sumner  Lincoln 

Truth  Dexter Sidney  McCall 

T.  Tembarom Frances  Hodgson  Burnett 

Turbulent  Duchess Percy  J.  Brebner 

Twenty- fourth  of  June,  The Grace  S.  Richmond. 

Twins  of  Suffering  Creek,  The Ridgwell  Cullum 

Two-Gun  Man,  The Chas.  A.  Seltzer 

Uncle  William Jennette  Lee 

"Unto  Caesar" Baroness  Orczy 

Up  From  Slavery Booker  T.  Washington 

Valiants  of  Virginia,  The Hallie  Erminie  Rives 

Valley  of  Fear,  The Sir  A.  Conan  Doyle 

Vanished  Messenger,  The E.  Phillips  Oppenheim 

Vane  of  the  Timberlands Harold  Bindloss 

Vashti Augusta  Evans  Wilson 

Village  of  Vagabonds,  A F.  Berkeley  Smith 

Visioning,  The Susan  Glaspell 

Wall  of  Men,  A Margaret  H.  McCartet 

Wallingford  in  His  Prime Geo.  Randolph  Chestet 

Wanted — A  Chaperon Paul  Leicester  Ford 

Wanted — A  Matchmaker Paul  Leicester  Ford 

Watchers  of  the  Plains,  The Ridgwell  Cullum 

Way  Home,  The Basil  King 

Way  of  an  Eagle,  The E.  M.  Dell 

Way  of  a  Man,  The Emerson  Hough 

Way  of  the  Strong,  The Kidgw*ll  Cullum 

Wayfarers,  The. ....,,.. Mary  Stewsx  C?=S« 


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Weavers,  The Gilbert  Parker 

West  Wind,  The Cyras  T.  Brady 

When  Wilderness  Was  King Randall  Parrlsh 

Where  the  Trail  Divides Will  JJllibridge 

Where  There's  a  Will Mary  Roberts  Rinehart 

White  Sister,  The Marion  Crawford 

Who  Goes  There Robert  W.  Chambers 

Window  at  the  White  Cat Mary  Roberts  Rinehart 

Winning  of  Barbara  Worth Harold  Bell  Wright 

Winning  the  Wilderness Margaret  Hill  McCarter 

With  Juliet  in  England Grace  S.  Richmond 

Witness  for  the  Defense,  The A.  E.  W.  Mason 

Woman  in  Question,  The John  Reed  Scott 

Woman  Haters,  The Joseph  C.  Lincoln 

Woman  Thou  Gavest  Me,  The Hall  Caine 

Woodcarver  of  'Lympus,  The Mary  E.  Waller 

Woodfire  in  No.  3,  The F.  Hopkinson  Smith 

Wooing  of  Rosamond  Fayre Berta  Ruck 

Wrecker,  The Robert  Louis  Stevenson 

Yellow  Letter,  The William  Johnston 

You  Never  Know  Your  Luek Gilbert  Parker 

Younger  Set,  The Robert  W.  C  hampers 


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